New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to lead an active criminal investigation into allegations that seven Cornell University fraternity members drugged and gang-raped a student at the Chi Phi house in October 2024.
The high-profile legal and political firestorm centers on an incident from the night of Oct. 19, 2024, at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York. A civil lawsuit filed on September 14 by a former student identified as Jane Doe accuses seven current and former students of administering ketamine and other substances to the then-20-year-old undergraduate before subjecting her to a hours-long assault while she was incapacitated.
No criminal charges were initially brought when the student reported the incident to campus police in late 2024. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to prosecute the case at the time, stating that the initial sworn statement provided to investigators described voluntary participation in drug use and sexual conduct.
Governor Hochul Appoints Special Prosecutor and Slams Handling of Case
The case escalated sharply when Governor Hochul announced she had lost faith in the local district attorney’s office and signed an executive order appointing Attorney General Letitia James to take over the investigation. Standing alongside James at a press conference, the governor criticized the institutional response to the allegations, stating that the individual was failed by those who held an obligation to protect her.
“In what world would the police learn from a victim that she’d been literally gang raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney?”
Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York
Attorney General James confirmed that her office has opened an active criminal investigation into the matter. Investigators plan to review evidence, interview witnesses, and evaluate whether criminal charges are warranted against the accused men.
Conflicting Accounts Emerge Over Initial Police Summary
Public scrutiny intensified after media reports revealed discrepancies between what the victim told campus investigators and the summary sent to prosecutors in 2024. Excerpts from a November 14, 2024, interview showed the student stated with 100% confidence that she was raped, but those specific words did not appear in the Cornell police account forwarded to the district attorney.
District Attorney Van Houten maintained that his office did not receive the interview transcript prior to deciding against filing charges. Meanwhile, social media evidence obtained by news organizations revealed that fraternity members shared a photo of the student in a Snapchat group chat on the night of the assault accompanied by explicit messages.
Legal representatives for some of the accused men countered that the public narrative presented in media reports and court filings was incomplete and inconsistent with the evidentiary findings developed through the university’s internal proceedings, including the statements provided by the complainant.
Cornell Reviews Disciplinary Actions After Campus Protests
In response to the allegations and subsequent campus protests, Cornell University defended its Title IX process, noting that a hearing panel of faculty and staff reviewed evidence over multiple days and issued sanctions that included expulsions and suspensions. University officials stated that the Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus.
Cornell also agreed to retain outside counsel to conduct an independent review examining how the university handled the initial reports. Student groups at Cornell and across higher education have continued to demand greater institutional transparency regarding disciplinary standards and interim suspensions.
Governor Seeks Legislative Reform on Voluntary Intoxication
Beyond the criminal inquiry, Governor Hochul announced plans to pursue legislative changes to New York’s voluntary intoxication defense, which prosecutors have cited as a barrier in sexual assault cases where victims voluntarily consumed drugs or alcohol.
“Voluntary intoxication is not a license for sexual assault or gang rape.”
Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York
A newly formed 14-member working group has been tasked with developing legislative recommendations by the end of the year to address how state law treats incapacitated victims.