New York DA Reopens Probe into Alleged Cornell Fraternity Assault After Civil Suit

Prosecutors in Tompkins County said they will ask a grand jury to review an alleged gang rape of a former Cornell student after the victim’s lawyer filed a civil complaint accusing seven fraternity members of drugging and assaulting her in October 2024. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten told reporters the new investigation will consider evidence that was not available during the original 2024 inquiry, which resulted in no criminal charges.

"It’s our intention to present the case to the Tompkins County grand jury with Jane Doe’s cooperation," Van Houten said. "We want to reexamine whether there’s additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment of the case and would result in the grand jury finding that there was criminal conduct."

The civil filing, submitted on September 16, alleges that the seven students used a Snapchat group chat to coordinate the assault and shared images of the communication. The complaint claims the victims were given additional alcohol and a substance described as ketamine, rendering them unable to consent. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, says she reported the incident to Cornell police on November 8.

Cornell University responded that it supports the district attorney’s decision to allow the victim’s story to be heard by a grand jury and noted that a Title IX investigation had already resulted in a range of sanctions, including suspensions and expulsions, for the accused students. The university also barred the Chi Phi chapter from campus and created a sexual-assault task force.

Doe’s attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, criticized the original criminal investigation, saying the victim was only interviewed by the officer who took her initial complaint and not by investigators trained in interviewing sexual-assault survivors. He called the lack of follow-up “a missed opportunity” and welcomed the renewed prosecutorial effort.

"While I do not care for the attempt to blame Ms. Doe for these failures, we appreciate and support any efforts to prosecute the parties," Giuffra said. "If the District Attorney’s office is now considering prosecution, I believe that it is a step in the right direction, albeit a late one."

One of the accused fraternity members’ attorney denied any wrongdoing, stating that his client was never charged because the allegations did not align with the victim’s original statements.

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and alleges negligence, breach of contract, sexual assault, battery, and violations of New York’s Human Rights Law. The case has drawn public commentary from officials and celebrities, highlighting broader concerns about campus handling of sexual-assault claims.