New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed State Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to handle an investigation into an alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell University, stripping control from the local district attorney after a civil lawsuit and leaked investigative materials triggered intense public outrage.
The controversy centers on an incident on October 19, 2024, when a 20-year-old student went to meet a friend at the Chi Phi fraternity house after drinking earlier in the evening. According to a lawsuit filed in mid-September by the student under the pseudonym Jane Doe, fraternity members plied her with alcohol, marijuana, and ketamine—an anesthetic that can cause hallucinogenic effects—before sexually assaulting her after she became incapacitated, as detailed in legal complaints that feature a screenshot of a group text chain where one man crudely encouraged others to join in the sexual activity.
Matthew Van Houten Defends Initial Decision as Cornell Police Withheld Interview Transcript
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten initially declined to pursue criminal charges after reviewing a police summary of the woman’s interview. Van Houten later stated in a statement that the materials provided to his office described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual.
Van Houten maintained that New York’s narrowly tailored sexual assault law made it difficult to bring charges because the victim had willingly consumed alcohol or drugs earlier in the evening, prompting several New York lawmakers to renew a years-long push to rewrite state statutes to eliminate that distinction and close potential loopholes for rapists to avoid prosecution. Meanwhile, the victim’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, criticized prosecutors for failing to investigate further at the time, including speaking with his client directly. Responding to the growing public outcry, Van Houten stated on September 28 that his office had reopened the case and would present evidence, including testimony from the woman, to a grand jury for possible indictment.
Governor Hochul Appoints Letitia James as Special Prosecutor
Outraged by the handling of the case, Governor Hochul stripped jurisdiction from local prosecutors and named State Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor, declaring herself deeply disturbed
by how Cornell police and the local district attorney handled the matter. Speaking at a press conference, Hochul expressed severe disappointment with both campus police and the district attorney’s office for failing to investigate the case more aggressively.
Attorney General James took over the investigation from Van Houten’s office, while Van Houten blamed the university for failing to provide the full picture
during the initial review.
Cornell Disciplinary Actions and Student Outcry on Campus
Internal university documents obtained by the New York Times revealed more than 1,000 pages of material from Cornell’s internal investigation. The records showed that the student’s understanding of the event shifted over time, with the newspaper reporting that she told police it took some time for her to fully realize that she had been gang-raped, while the accused fraternity members denied wrongdoing.
Cornell defended its institutional response by noting that the Chi Phi chapter was barred from campus and remains closed.
The revelations sparked widespread campus demonstrations and institutional reflection. During a student assembly meeting, community members voiced anger and concern over the school’s handling of the episode. National Chi Phi leadership also weighed in on the fallout.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff described the gang rape allegations as deeply disturbing
in a video message, pledging increased transparency as the university faces scrutiny that is expected to impact the institution for years.
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