Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday called for outside counsel to conduct an independent review of how Cornell University handled a 2024 alleged gang rape at a campus fraternity house, adding state pressure to a case that has drawn national outrage.
In a statement, Hochul called the allegations horrifying and said she supports the decision to reopen the criminal investigation. She added that there are "serious questions about Cornell's campus culture" and about its systems for preventing, reporting and responding to sexual assault.
The former student, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit on Sept. 16. She alleges that seven current and former members of the Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her at the chapter house on the night of Oct. 19, 2024, NBC News reported. The suit also names the university, the fraternity and an Ithaca bar, according to PBS NewsHour. It includes an image of a Snapchat group message that appeared to invite other fraternity members to join, CNN reported.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced Monday that he was reopening the case and had assigned a senior prosecutor with sex crimes experience to prepare it for a grand jury, NPR reported.
He also defended his decision not to file charges in 2024. Van Houten told CNN that the decision was legally correct at the time and that the woman's original sworn statement described the drug use and sexual contact as voluntary. His office had not seen the text messages when it first reviewed the case, he said. Doe's attorney called the reopening a step in the right direction, if a late one, according to NBC News.
Cornell has pushed back on claims that no one faced consequences. The university said it conducted a Title IX investigation, expelled and suspended students and barred the Chi Phi chapter from campus, NEWS10 reported. In a statement Tuesday, Cornell said it shares the governor's commitment to addressing campus culture, ABC News reported.
Local and state officials have also weighed in. Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo, a Cornell alumnus, called for a moratorium on student group activities, including Greek life gatherings, until the university reviews its protocols, WSKG reported. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, who chairs the Senate Codes Committee, warned local police and Cornell administrators that lawmakers are watching closely as Democrats introduced new bills.