Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale issued a new statement on the ongoing ‘Cornell 7’ r*pe case, calling the men involved “sick monsters.” She shared the statement on Instagram. Prosecutors in New York have recently reopened an investigation into an alleged gang r*pe reported to have taken place at a Cornell University fraternity in 2024.
Hale first addressed the alleged perpetrators.
“If you are the kind of man who thinks it’s ok to reduce another human being to nothing more than something you can stick your d*ck into …. there is something severely wrong with you,” Hale said. “You are not a ‘promising young man,’ you are a sick monster that needs to be punished and prevented from having contact with other humans.”
She then turned to people who knew about the alleged assault but did nothing.
“And if you are the kind of man who stands idly by while witnessing a r*pe (yes even if you saw it in a group chat you are still a witness to that r*pe), and choose to do nothing/say nothing … you are NOT ‘the good guy,’” she continued. “You are an accessory to the sexual assault and also need to be brought to justice, because we don’t want your kind walking among us either.”
Hale also addressed those in positions of authority.
“And if you are in a position of power to hold these men accountable for their actions and e do nothing, take their side, or let them off with a f*cking ‘writing assignment,’ you should be stripped of your power and privilege of walking among us,” she added.
Her statement came as the case returned to the spotlight. Here is how the investigation reached this point.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced the reopening on Sept. 28. He said the case would go before a Tompkins County grand jury once his office determines the appropriate charges. The announcement followed a civil lawsuit filed this month by the woman, identified as Jane Doe. She alleges she was plied with alcohol and drugs and gang-r*ped by seven fraternity members at age 20. Reports place the alleged assault at or in connection with Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house.
“I have been asked by the community to revisit the decision whether to pursue criminal charges against the seven fraternity members,” Van Houten said. “I have already begun that process.”
Prosecutors first investigated the allegations in 2024. They filed no criminal charges at the time. Cornell ran its own investigation and imposed sanctions, including expulsions and suspensions. The university closed the Chi Phi chapter in 2024. The chapter remains barred from campus.
The “writing assignment” that Hale referenced comes from the lawsuit. The complaint claims the accused students were given the chance to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays. Cornell rejects that account. The university says none of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as the sole consequence of their involvement.
Cornell has also said it supports presenting the case to a grand jury. It denies that it failed to punish the students involved. The reopening followed public criticism of the earlier no-charges decision and of the alleged leniency in the university’s response.
