NY Prosecutors Reopen Cornell Fraternity Rape Investigation

Tue Sep 29 2026 08:42:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

New evidence and a civil lawsuit prompt New York prosecutors to re-examine a 2024 alleged gang‑rape at Cornell’s Chi Phi house, sparking campus outrages and calls for greater transparency.

In late September, New York’s Tompkins County District Attorney reopened a criminal inquiry into an alleged gang-rape of a Cornell University student at a Chi Phi fraternity house. The plaintiff, Jane Doe, claims she was drugged with ketamine and assaulted by seven men, a claim her November 2024 police statement later did not fully corroborate. The district attorney, citing new information, will submit the case to a grand jury, while Cornell maintains it imposed sanctions, including suspensions and expulsions, and is conducting a Title IX review. The case has drawn national attention, with remarks from celebrities and lawmakers, and has inspired a campus-wide push for transparent reporting of sexual‑violence procedures. Meanwhile, the mayor of Ithaca has halted special‑event permits pending a reassessment of safety protocols.

NY prosecutors are reopening a criminal inquiry into a 2024 alleged gang‑rape that occurred in a Cornell University fraternity house.

On Monday, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced that the office would bring new evidence before a grand jury, where ‘the appropriate charges will be considered in the most objective and impartial manner’.

Jane Doe, the plaintiff who filed a civil suit on 16 September, alleges she was drugged with ketamine and assaulted by seven men from Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter on the night of 19 October 2024. She said she was intoxicated and incapable of giving consent, and reported the incident to campus police on 8 November.

Van Houten said that in 2022 the investigation had not met the threshold for charges. He has now contacted Doe and her counsel for updates. He noted that Doe’s earlier sworn statement did not accuse the men of drugging her or of gang‑rape, describing instead a voluntary and consensual engagement.

Doe’s lawsuit further accuses Cornell of not adequately protecting her, allowing the accused men to write essays as punishment. The university counters that a faculty panel imposed expulsions and suspensions and that no ‘essay’ penalty was applied.

Stunning evidence surfaced in Doe’s lawsuit—a screenshots of a Snapchat group chat, claiming to reveal planful sexual intent toward her. Corned pawns, such as lawyer Jeremy Saland, deny any wrongdoing by their clients, saying they ‘did nothing else’ beyond a short comment.

The case has attracted nationwide attention: actress Florence Pugh and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez voiced solidarity, while Ithaca’s mayor halted all student event permits pending a review of safety protocols.

The university confirmed that its 2025 sexual‑assault task force report found that 35% of undergraduate women and 8% of undergraduate men reported experiencing assault. It has “made or is developing” recommendations on campus safety.

For victims seeking help, the article lists befriending resources such as Befrienders Worldwide and a UK line here.
See the full task‑force report: Final Report (PDF).