Polymarket’s Cornell sex-crime market draws backlash over trading on rape allegations

Polymarket’s international platform opened a market on whether any of seven men named as defendants in a civil lawsuit over the alleged rape of a Cornell student would face a felony sex-crime charge. The listing, introduced Sept. 30, has drawn condemnation from an attorney and a sexual-violence nonprofit, which said it turns alleged assault into a vehicle for speculation and profit.

By early Monday afternoon, the market had attracted about $452,000 in trading volume, according to Front Office Sports. Traders put the chance of a “yes” resolution at about 28% by Jan. 31, 2027. Polymarket’s accompanying market context put the probability of no felony charges at roughly 73%, citing the prosecutor’s earlier decision not to bring charges, the high threshold for criminal prosecution and the time remaining before the deadline.

Cheyenne Hunt, an attorney, called the market “dehumanizing, disgusting, and dangerous.” I Have The Right To, a nonprofit, asked: “What kind of culture looks at sexual violence and sees an opportunity for profit?” It described the listing as “rape culture.”

Polymarket defended the market on the grounds that prediction markets can supply objective, data-driven information on the progress of important legal matters. The company said the Cornell case and sexual assault on college campuses warranted greater transparency and attention.

The market was not offered on Polymarket’s U.S. app. The company’s international platform operates separately from its U.S. platform, which it described as a federally regulated exchange overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Kalshi, a competing prediction-market company, said it would not consider offering a comparable market.

The underlying civil suit was filed Sept. 16 by a Jane Doe plaintiff, who alleged that she was drugged and gang-raped in 2024. It named Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity, and seven fraternity members as defendants, and set out nine causes of action including sexual assault and negligence. The lawsuit alleges the assault occurred at the Chi Phi house after the plaintiff was pressured to consume ketamine, marijuana and alcohol.

The Tompkins County district attorney initially declined to bring criminal charges in 2024, but reopened the inquiry after the lawsuit supplied additional evidence and amid public questions about the absence of prosecutions. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office would present evidence to a grand jury.

Cornell’s disciplinary process is separate from the criminal justice system and applies university policy rather than criminal law. The university said its Title IX investigation lasted several months and involved hearings before a trained faculty-and-staff panel; it can impose sanctions even where there are no criminal charges. Cornell said its own investigation led to expulsions and suspensions, although federal privacy law prevents it from disclosing specific outcomes for individual students.

Cornell University Police investigated in 2024 and submitted the victim’s sworn statement and a Snapchat screenshot to the district attorney’s office. The Chi Phi Xi chapter was closed that year and remains barred from campus. Cornell also launched a Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault in early 2025, issued its recommendations in March and said it was implementing them.