New York state prosecutors announced on September 29, 2026, that they will reopen a criminal inquiry into the alleged rape of a woman at Cornell University. The woman, referred to in court documents as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit on September 16, 2024, claiming she was drugged and raped by multiple individuals at a fraternity house on campus. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated that the case will be prosecuted through a grand jury once appropriate charges are determined.
Cornell University expressed support for the case being brought before a grand jury, while asserting that claims suggesting the university did not impose significant punishments on those involved are inaccurate. Jane Doe alleges that on October 19, 2024, seven men from the Chi Phi fraternity assaulted her, involving alcohol and the drug ketamine. She reported the incident to Cornell University Police on November 8, 2024.
The lawsuit includes an image from a Snapchat group chat where a participant mentioned a potential sexual encounter with Jane Doe. Van Houten noted that his office previously concluded that the evidence from her statement did not meet the legal threshold for charges. He reached out to Jane Doe and her attorneys for more information as he prepared to present the case to a grand jury.
In his statement, Van Houten summarized Jane Doe's account to the Cornell University Police, indicating that her sworn statement did not allege she was drugged or gang-raped, but rather described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary. He acknowledged the complexities of processing trauma for victims of sexual assault.
Jane Doe's attorney, Thomas Giuffra, stated that she was traumatized following the incident and criticized the investigation process, suggesting that law enforcement failed to conduct a thorough investigation. The lawsuit claims that Cornell did not adequately protect her or punish the alleged perpetrators, who were allowed to mitigate their conduct through essays.
Cornell University issued a public statement in November 2024 regarding the allegations, indicating that its campus police were investigating and that the Chi Phi fraternity chapter had been suspended. The university also opened an internal investigation and a civil rights inquiry under Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded schools. The Chi Phi fraternity chapter remains barred from campus.
Cornell disputed Jane Doe's claims about the investigation and stated that the matter was referred to a panel that issued sanctions, including expulsions and suspensions. An attorney for one of the men named in the lawsuit denied the allegations, asserting that his client did not engage in any sexual activity.
The case has garnered national attention, with public figures, including actress Florence Pugh and US lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, speaking out. The campus community has expressed a mix of outrage and solidarity, with calls for transparency in the university's handling of sexual assault cases. The mayor of Ithaca has called for a moratorium on student event permits until the university reviews its protocols for preventing and prosecuting sexual violence. A 2025 survey indicated that 35% of undergraduate women and 8% of undergraduate men at Cornell reported experiencing sexual assault during their time at the university.