NEW YORK – New York’s governor and attorney general are set to provide an important update regarding an investigation into serious allegations made by a woman claiming she was gang-raped at a Cornell University fraternity house.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday that she has appointed Attorney General Letitia James to oversee this investigation. This decision came after concerns were raised about the local district attorney’s handling of the case, leading Hochul to express a loss of faith in their ability to pursue justice effectively.
Originally, the investigation into these allegations was closed without charges in 2024. However, following the woman’s filing of a civil lawsuit, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the investigation. Since then, he has faced significant criticism for reportedly closing the original investigation too hastily.
Now, with the attorney general overseeing the investigation, if warranted, evidence will be presented to a grand jury. Hochul emphasized the importance of a thorough examination of the facts, stating, “The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued.”
The case has stirred considerable unrest on the Ivy League campus, shining a spotlight on how sexual assaults are treated at universities. The woman, referred to as Jane Doe in court documents, reported the incident to campus police in November 2024 and later engaged with the university’s internal investigators as part of the school’s disciplinary process.
Her civil lawsuit names seven fraternity brothers, Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity, and others as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that she was intoxicated and incapacitated due to drugs and alcohol, which led to her being subjected to sexual acts by multiple men. According to the lawsuit, one of the men sent a social media message to other fraternity members, inviting them to participate in the assault.
Defense lawyers for two of the accused men deny their involvement in the alleged sexual assault. One of the attorneys stated that his client did not touch the woman. Efforts by The Associated Press to contact the other men or their representatives have not been successful.
