Hochul to address Cornell University case after appointing Leticia James to investigate alleged gang-rape – US politics live

According to a Title IX record obtained by CBS News New York, a student who was present at a Chi Phi house party where an alleged assault occurred in 2024 claims she received a call from one of the accused men the following day. The call took place before an event at her sorority. The student alleges that the man asked her to ensure her friend didn't say anything about the incident, stating that another fraternity member was very concerned.

At the time, the student assumed the man was embarrassed and wanted to prevent a rumor from spreading. She then relayed the message to her friend. Weeks later, Cornell sent out a campus crime alert, which made the student's friend realize the significance of the man's comments. She and a third woman, her roommate, decided to report the incident to the Cornell Police.

The student wrote a witness statement, but expressed uncertainty about what happened to that statement. The investigation record does not specify the fate of the witness statement. Initially, Cornell claimed to have shared all investigatory information with the Tompkins County district attorney's office, but has since clarified that they shared only the victim's sworn statement and a Snapchat screenshot.

The district attorney stated he only received Jane Doe's 2024 statement and a Snapchat video. In earlier interviews, the accused man denied having a phone call with the first student about the night of the alleged assault. However, a month later, he admitted during written corrections that he had spoken with her at some point, specifically when she visited about not spreading rumors.

When asked how the fraternity brothers addressed the rumors, he stated they were focused on denying any involvement. The district attorney initially chose not to bring charges against any of the accused men but has since reopened the investigation.