A Cornell student confronted Gillio Lopes on campus after he was named in Jane Doe’s lawsuit against seven Chi Phi brothers, asking him whether he was ashamed to remain at the university.
Footage of the exchange circulating on social media shows the woman asking Lopes what he had to say for himself. He appears to indicate that he does not want to respond, but she continues questioning him.
She calls Lopes a “disgusting person” and says students at Cornell are ashamed of him. She also condemns a Snapchat group in which one fraternity member allegedly referred to Jane Doe as “Free p***y”.
Lopes has denied all the allegations against him in the lawsuit. He has said that 60 people were members of the group chat, although that did not alter the woman’s decision to confront him.
Lawyer says Cornell confrontation came before evidence was heard
His lawyer, Andrew Miltenberg, said the incident highlighted the dangers of reaching conclusions before all the evidence had been considered.
“What has emerged today only reinforces how dangerous it is to rush to judgment,” he said. “The contemporaneous texts and other evidence now being reported show a far more complicated and evolving factual picture than the one initially presented to the public.”
Miltenberg said Jane Doe’s account should be treated seriously, while arguing that Lopes was also entitled to fairness.
“Nothing we say is intended to minimize the trauma Jane Doe has described,” he said. “Her experience deserves to be treated seriously and with dignity. But empathy for an accuser and fairness to the accused are not mutually exclusive.”
The lawyer accused Jane Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffre, of having “masterfully manipulated the media narrative”. He said the consequences were now “very real”, claiming Lopes had been publicly confronted and condemned before the evidence had been fully heard.
“Due process exists for precisely this reason,” Miltenberg said. “Publicity is not evidence. Repetition is not proof. An accusation cannot be allowed to become its own proof.”
He added that Lopes was entitled to have the evidence tested through the legal process, rather than through headlines, social media or public confrontations.
Reaction online to the Cornell confrontation has been divided, with some users praising the woman’s courage while others noting that Lopes has not been charged with a crime.
