Cornell University

Ketamine’s role in alleged Cornell rape highlights flood of psychoactive drugs on campus

<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/766284/original/file-20261014-50-ws3vau.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.1&rect=0%2C84%2C1872%2C1248&q=45&auto=format&w=1050&h=700&fit=crop" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Ketamine and many other psychoactive substances can't be detected by most standard drug screens, so it's unclear how often they play a role in sexual assault.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/ketamine-bottle-with-warning-label-royalty-free-image/2251150920">D-Keine/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Former Cornell student Jane Doe, who <a href="https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2026/09/tccsuykuvb4z">filed a civil lawsuit in September 2026</a> alleging that seven fraternity members raped her at a party, said the young men who assaulted her pressured her into taking the drug ketamine. </p> <p>As an <a href="https://med.virginia.edu/emergency-medicine/fa