Unsealed documents detail Cornell investigation into alleged rape at fraternity house
The rape allegations gained national attention after the woman filed a lawsuit last month, both because of the brutality of the alleged crime and the fact that none of the accused students faced criminal charges.
A former Cornell University student, known as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit last month alleging she was drugged and gang-raped at a fraternity house in October 2024. The allegations gained national attention due to the brutality of the alleged crime and the fact that none of the accused students faced criminal charges. According to CBS News, Jane Doe was interviewed by campus police in mid-November 2024, and a six-page statement was provided to the Tompkins County District Attorney, Matthew Van Houten.
A Title IX investigation was conducted by Cornell in 2025, involving about 50 interviews with 32 witnesses. The university and seven members of the Chi Pi fraternity are named in the lawsuit. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed an executive order appointing state Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor in the case, citing a loss of faith in the Tompkins County DA's ability to handle it.
The decision to appoint a special prosecutor followed newly released information that raised questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision not to prosecute. According to Investing.com, Governor Hochul stated that she had lost faith in the Tompkins County DA's ability to fairly oversee the case. Letitia James said her office would "fully and fairly" investigate the allegations.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, CBS News, ABC News AU, Investing.com — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
