New York prosecutors have reopened an investigation into the alleged gang rape of a Cornell University student by seven Chi Phi fraternity members. The decision follows a civil lawsuit and public outcry over university sanctions that reportedly included requiring some accused students to write essays.
The case centers on an incident from October 19, 2024, involving a woman who was 20 years old at the time. According to a 101-page civil complaint, the woman arrived at the Chi Phi fraternity house after drinking at a bar and her sorority house. She alleges that two members pressured her into snorting a substance they identified as ketamine before she was sexually assaulted while incapable of consent
.
The ordeal reportedly escalated when one individual sent a message to a Snapchat group titled Chi Phi Actives
stating there was free pussy upstairs
. This message allegedly encouraged other members of the Xi chapter to join in. The victim claims she was raped for several hours, with some men inhaling ketamine on her body, until she lost consciousness around 5:45 a.m.
Chi Phi Sanctions and the Cornell Daily Sun Exposure
While the victim reported the assault to campus police three weeks later, the resulting disciplinary actions have sparked intense criticism. Attorney Thomas Giuffra, representing the woman identified as Jane Doe, told CBS News that only two of the seven accused members were expelled. The remaining five allegedly faced minor penalties, such as attending workshops, serving short suspensions, or writing essays to mitigate their conduct.
Cornell University’s vice-president for university relations, Kyle Kimball, stated on September 21 that the institution conducted multiple inquiries. While Kimball noted that the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remains barred from campus, he cited federal privacy laws as the reason the university cannot disclose specific disciplinary responses for individual students.
The lack of transparency led the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun, to publish the names of the seven men involved. The paper accused the university of failing its duty of protection, noting that the school’s response—which included creating a sexual assault task force—was delayed by five months.
Matthew Van Houten and the Conflict Over Initial Statements
The current reopening of the criminal case rests on a sharp disagreement between the district attorney and the victim’s legal team regarding what was reported in November 2024. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten told ABC News that the allegations in the new civil suit are dramatically different
from the original police statement.
Thomas Giuffra countered this narrative, arguing that the authorities failed to use specialized detectives trained in interviewing rape survivors. He claimed that his client only spoke with the officer who took the original complaint and was never contacted by anyone with the necessary skills to handle abuse survivors. Giuffra also noted that the district attorney’s office had never actually investigated the incident, leaving it entirely to the Cornell University Police Department.
Florence Pugh and the Public Response
The case gained global visibility on September 27 after actor Florence Pugh posted a statement on Instagram. Pugh described herself as uncomfortable, sickened and distressed
by the details of the case and the perceived leniency of the punishments.
Pugh specifically criticized the notion that a written apology or essay could suffice for such a crime, questioning how perpetrators could believe that it was not going to pose a problem
to violate a drugged woman. She called for men to stop remaining silent and to take the lead in ending the complicity surrounding sexual violence.
The Chi Phi fraternity issued a statement to CBS News condemning sexual violence and stating they take the matter seriously, though they declined to comment on specific allegations while legal proceedings are ongoing.
The next critical step in the legal process is the presentation of the case to the Tompkins County grand jury, which Van Houten stated will proceed with the cooperation of the victim.