Prosecutors in Tompkins County, New York, are reopening an investigation into an alleged sexual assault at a Cornell University fraternity that occurred in 2024. The decision follows a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month by a former student who claims she was drugged and assaulted by seven fraternity members. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated that his office is considering whether to bring criminal charges related to the incident, noting that the allegations in the civil complaint differ significantly from the woman's initial statement to police.
Van Houten indicated that the case would be presented to a grand jury with the cooperation of the complainant, referred to as Jane Doe. He expressed the intention to reexamine any new evidence that may have emerged since the initial investigation in November 2024.
The civil lawsuit alleges that the complainant was drugged and gang raped by members of the Chi Phi fraternity, which has since been barred from campus. Van Houten explained that charges were not filed in 2024 because the initial statement did not include claims of being drugged or lacking consent.
Jane Doe's attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, contested Van Houten's interpretation of the woman's statement and criticized the lack of follow-up by authorities. He emphasized the need for specialized training in handling such sensitive cases. Van Houten acknowledged that his office relied on the investigation conducted by Cornell Police and did not conduct an independent investigation.
Giuffra also pointed out that a screenshot of a group chat discussing the alleged incident was not provided to the DA's office, despite being critical evidence.
Cornell University stated that it takes allegations of sexual violence seriously and that its Office of Civil Rights conducted a thorough investigation, which resulted in disciplinary actions against some individuals involved. The university noted that federal privacy laws prevent it from disclosing specific details about the case.
In its latest statement, Cornell expressed support for the DA's decision to allow the victim's story to be presented to a grand jury and reaffirmed that the Chi Phi chapter remains barred from campus.
An attorney representing one of the defendants denied the allegations, asserting that the incident described in the lawsuit did not occur.