Prosecutors Reopen Cornell Fraternity Gang Rape Investigation

New York state prosecutors have decided to present evidence to a grand jury regarding an alleged 2024 gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house, following public outcry triggered by a newly filed civil lawsuit.

The 101-page complaint, brought by a former student identified as Jane Doe, accuses seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity of drugging her with ketamine and assaulting her over several hours while she was severely intoxicated and unable to give consent. The lawsuit also targets the university, the local fraternity chapter, and her former sorority, claiming negligence and breach of contract.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten initially declined to file criminal charges after Doe reported the incident to campus police in November 2024. Explaining the original decision, Van Houten stated:

"Jane Doe's sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped. On the contrary, Jane Doe's statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual."

However, Van Houten subsequently acknowledged the complex emotional toll on survivors of sexual violence: "the reality that it can take years of therapy and healing for victims of sexual assaults to fully process and understand what happened to them".

His office confirmed that a senior prosecutor with specialized experience in sex crimes will now prepare the case for a grand jury review:

"Once we determine the appropriate charges, the case will be prosecuted in the most objective and impartial means possible".

Attorneys representing the accuser criticized the thoroughness of the initial police response. Thomas Giuffra, an attorney for Doe, told news outlets:

“In the days following the assault, [Jane Doe] was traumatised, numb and unable to function or accept the horror of what had happened. She was in self-preservation mode."

"I would have expected at the very least that she would have been interviewed several times and evidence collected by law enforcement and a case developed. This is the normal sequence for serious crime investigations."

"The defensive posture I have gleaned from the DA's statements leads me to believe that they recognise that there were failures and they are trying to excuse them".

The civil complaint includes screenshots of messages sent in a fraternity Snapchat group chat during the alleged incident, including crude statements inviting members to participate.

Attorneys for the accused men have denied the sexual assault claims. Jeremy Saland, representing one defendant, admitted his client sent an improper text message but maintained he was not involved in any violence:

“This is a situation where there was an ugly Snapchat – ugly, period. … But that doesn’t make my client a rapist, and it certainly doesn’t make anyone a sex offender".

Legal counsel for another named defendant, Gillio Lopes, stated that his client "unequivocally denies the allegations against him".

Cornell University pushed back against assertions in the lawsuit that the institution failed to penalize the students involved or allowed them to complete essay assignments in lieu of real consequences. The school affirmed that its internal Title IX process resulted in strict disciplinary measures and that the Chi Phi chapter remains permanently banned from campus, declaring that: "any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false".

“At its conclusion, the hearing panel issued a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell. None of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement.”

> "Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false. A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault".

The revelations have fueled widespread anger both on campus and nationally. Sophia Dasser, editor-in-chief of The Cornell Daily Sun, highlighted the student body's demand for greater clarity around campus disciplinary proceedings:

"Much of the frustration, in my opinion, does stem from how little students really were told over the last two years regarding this case and how opaque the Title IX process is…So all we ask is really, truly transparency to the student body, especially the student body in which the university is responsible for keeping safe."

In response to the controversy, Ithaca Mayor Robert G. Cantelmo requested a pause on special event permits for student groups while the university "conducts an accounting of its protocols to prevent and prosecute crimes of sexual violence".

Public figures have also weighed in on the matter. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized systemic issues surrounding Greek life culture:

"Those men posted in a group chat…That means it was normal to them, that means it was acceptable to them. This is a culture, this is norms, these are practices, and what we must do is understand that we cannot protect those spaces anymore."

Actor Florence Pugh expressed support for the accuser on social media, writing:

"I’m no longer tired – I’m enraged by schools protecting boys, in fear of their futures being wrecked. What about the life that those girls then have to endure, with the knowledge that his reputation is more precious than her truth?"