Cornell fraternity gang rape probe reopened after victim files lawsuit

A New York prosecutor has reopened an investigation into gang rape allegations at Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity following a lawsuit filed by a woman who says she was assaulted in 2024.

Cornell gang rape investigation reopened as accuser sues fraternity and university

A New York prosecutor has reopened a criminal investigation into gang rape allegations at a Cornell University fraternity after a woman filed a civil lawsuit claiming she was sexually assaulted by seven students in 2024, pbs.org reports.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced Monday that his office will present evidence to a grand jury. The move comes amid public pressure over why no criminal charges had previously been brought in the case.

The woman, identified only by a pseudonym in the lawsuit, filed her complaint on 16 September. She alleges she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house on the Ivy League campus in October 2024 after being pressured into snorting ketamine, smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. She became completely incapacitated while fraternity members were sexually assaulting her, the lawsuit states.

Accuser's initial statement did not mention gang rape, DA says

Van Houten said the woman had gone to campus police at the time, but that her initial sworn statement to authorities contained no claims of being gang-raped or drugged. The prosecutor also said he had not been contacted by her attorney before the lawsuit was filed, though he subsequently reached out to the attorney himself.

"Seeking justice sometimes requires us to reconsider or reopen cases when we are provided with additional evidence," Van Houten said in a statement. "I have been asked by the community to revisit the decision whether to pursue criminal charges against the seven fraternity members. I have already begun that process, starting with our conversation with Jane Doe and her attorneys."

Van Houten added that since the lawsuit was filed, his office had been flooded with phone calls, voicemails and emails — some seeking answers, others containing insults and threats. "The community outrage stemming from the incomplete news and social media coverage requires that I provide an answer to why the investigation resulted in a lack of criminal charges," he said.

Cornell imposed sanctions but withholds details

Cornell University said in a statement that it supports the decision to reopen the investigation. The university said it had conducted its own internal disciplinary investigation in 2024, with a panel of trained faculty and staff hearing evidence over multiple days. Both the woman and the accused had the opportunity to testify and present evidence.

The school confirmed that the on-campus Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus, and that sanctions included expelling some students and suspending others. However, school officials on Monday declined to specify how many students were expelled or suspended, citing federal privacy law.

"Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false," Cornell said. "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 national chapter of Chi Phi did not respond to phone and email messages on Monday.

Lawsuit alleges university failings and group chat evidence

The woman's complaint accuses Cornell of failing to prevent the alleged assaults and of not properly addressing sexual violence on campus. It includes a photograph that it says shows a group chat between fraternity members discussing the events of that night.

According to the lawsuit, the woman — a 20-year-old Cornell student and sorority member at the time — went to campus police approximately three weeks after the alleged assault. The fraternity and seven of its members were placed on temporary suspension that same day.

The complaint said the seven men were given "the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to Cornell." The university denied this, stating that "none of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement."

The accuser is suing the seven men, the Chi Phi fraternity, the university, an Ithaca bar and others, seeking undisclosed damages. Her attorney did not respond to messages seeking comment on Monday.

Ocasio-Cortez condemns 'culture of rape' at elite institutions

The lawsuit, the reopening of the investigation and Cornell's response have sparked widespread commentary on social media. Many have criticised the school and the district attorney's office, while others have expressed doubt about the lawsuit's allegations. Some social media users posted photographs of the seven fraternity members.

Over the weekend, New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned what she described as a "culture of rape" protected at elite institutions. Speaking at a forum near Cornell's campus, she said: "When I read what happened at Cornell, 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."

"And what we must do is understand that we cannot protect those spaces any more," she added.

Survey reveals extent of sexual assault on campus

Cornell said a school task force on campus sexual assault, formed in 2025, made recommendations earlier this year, several of which have already been implemented. A 2025 school survey cited in the task force report found that 35% of undergraduate women and 8% of undergraduate men reported experiencing sexual assault during their time at Cornell.

Eeshaan Chaudhuri, a Cornell senior and president of the student government, called for a fresh examination of the university's initial investigation and of why the district attorney's office had not pursued criminal charges sooner.

Source: Google News MT