Polymarket withdrew a contract tied to a Cornell sexual-assault case after objections, with the market recording more than $450,000 in trading before its removal, The Independent reported.
A Polymarket spokesperson said the company removed the contract after considering objections. The spokesperson described the market as a way to gauge whether government authorities would act in the case. The Independent reported that online critics called the listing degrading and questioned celebrity endorsers’ association with Polymarket.
The contract asked traders to predict whether prosecutors would bring felony sex-crime charges against any of seven fraternity members. It opened Sept. 30 and had been scheduled to end Jan. 31.
According to The Independent, the case centers on allegations about encounters in October 2024 and Cornell’s handling of the plaintiff’s complaints. The lawsuit accuses seven fraternity members of sexual assault or exploitation; court documents identify the plaintiff by the pseudonym Jane Doe. The men deny the claims, The Independent reported. Some say the encounters were consensual, while others say they were not involved.
The contract appeared on Polymarket International, which operates separately from Polymarket’s U.S. exchange.
