Ithaca City Council asks Cornell to report sexual assault investigations to local police

Van Houten said he was unaware that Jane Doe allegedly made the remark to campus police, adding that the allegation was not included in the written statement Cornell police provided to his office in November 2024.

In light of these revelations, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, “In what world could police learn from a victim that she was literally gang raped while drunk by five men in a fraternity house, and not raise these allegations with the prosecutor?”

“She spoke to the police. She sat for hours and told them exactly what happened to her and, according to new reports, she couldn’t have said more clearly that she was 100 percent sure she had been raped,” she said. “And yet, shockingly, those words were never included in the account that Cornell police sent to prosecutors. The attorney general then declined to file charges after reviewing that incomplete account and without ever questioning him.”

Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James to take over the investigation. As governor of New York, Hochul is by default a member of Cornell’s board of trustees.

Jane Doe’s attorney said authorities failed to conduct a thorough investigation.

Sally Yates, former deputy U.S. attorney general and acting U.S. attorney general, is leading an independent review of how the university has responded to the allegations and, more broadly, how it responds to sexual harassment, assault and misconduct on campus.

This investigation will include examining the role and response of campus police and their coordination with other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors.

Maggie Vespa and Adam Reiss reported from Ithaca and Daniella Silva from New York.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The hotline, run by the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), can connect you with your local rape crisis center. You can also access RAINN’s online chat service at rainn.org/get-help.