New York Attorney General Letitia James has been appointed special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into an alleged gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house in October 2024. The decision follows a civil lawsuit filed by the accuser, known as Jane Doe, and mounting online scrutiny over the initial handling of the case by local law enforcement.
The criminal inquiry into what happened at the Chi Phi fraternity house has reignited after months of public pressure. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced that his office would present evidence to a grand jury after a lawsuit was filed by the student on September 16, 2024. Days later, New York Governor Kathy Hochul intervened, directing the state’s attorney general to take over the criminal investigation as a special prosecutor.
Hochul stated that she had lost faith in the county prosecutor’s ability to oversee the case. Van Houten had previously decided against filing criminal charges in 2024, noting that the student’s initial sworn statement to campus police did not accuse the male students of rape.
Civil Lawsuit Details Night of Oct. 19, 2024
The legal complaint filed in New York Supreme Court details an assault that allegedly began late on the evening of October 19, 2024. According to the court documents cited by Radio Canada, the 20-year-old student had been drinking with her sorority, visited a nightclub, and later walked alone to the Chi Phi house to see a friend. The lawsuit alleges she had consumed about 10 standard drinks and was pressured into snorting ketamine, smoking marijuana, and drinking rum after arriving at the fraternity house.
Newly revealed Title IX investigation records show that the student told campus investigators she was assaulted repeatedly in a closet while drifting in and out of consciousness. During university hearings, she described feeling like bait surrounded by attackers. The complaint names seven fraternity members dubbed the Cornell 7.
When Jane Doe went to campus police days after exchanging text messages with one of the fraternity brothers, she recorded phone calls to at least three of the fraternity members and turned those recordings over to university investigators. During one recorded call reviewed by ABC News, when she asked a member how the other men walked in, he explained that the door was unlocked because the party was crowded and there was nowhere else to go. Jane Doe replied that what they did would be classified as gang rape if she took it further.
“I was a sex doll for all intents and purposes, which is sad but, unfortunately, something I’m not used to, or something that I haven’t experienced before.”
Jane Doe, via Yahoo
Group Chat Messages Spark Cornell University Dispute
According to Radio Canada and Newsbreak, members discussed the night’s events in the group chat, with one person texting about free access and another responding that you can walk in and show yourself. Text exchanges also show one of the fraternity brothers apologizing to the student days later, writing that he just wanted to apologize for how things went down, to which she initially responded that the sexual activity was not illegal and she liked being with him before her views changed weeks later.
Cornell University strongly disputed that characterization. University officials stated that none of the charged individuals were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement.
Online Scrutiny and Safety Concerns for the Accuser
Thomas Giuffra noted that social media postings had incorrectly identified other women as his client.
The fallout has also affected individuals outside the case. An active-duty US Marine Corps sergeant who shares a name with one of the defendants was incorrectly served with the lawsuit, resulting in a torrent of abuse and threats. Meanwhile, Governor Hochul pledged to close a state law loophole that makes it difficult to press rape charges if an alleged victim voluntarily consumes alcohol or drugs.
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