Prosecutor reopens investigation into Cornell gang rape allegations after accuser files lawsuit

A New York prosecutor has reopened an investigation into allegations of gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity in response to a lawsuit filed by a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted in 2024 by seven students after consuming alcohol and drugs.

Tompkins County Prosecutor Matthew Van Houten said Monday his office will present evidence to a grand jury as it faces questions from the public about why there are no criminal charges in the case.

The woman, identified only by a pseudonym in the lawsuit, filed suit Sept. 16, claiming she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house on the Ivy League campus in October 2024 after being pressured to snort ketamine, smoke marijuana and drink alcohol. She became completely incapacitated while fraternity members sexually assaulted her, according to the lawsuit.

The trial, the reopening of the investigation and Cornell’s response sparked a flood of comments on social media. Many people have criticized the school and the district attorney’s office in office, while some have expressed doubt about the lawsuit’s allegations. Some posted photos of the seven fraternity members.

The accuser is suing the men, the Chi Phi fraternity, the university, an Ithaca bar and others for undisclosed damages. His lawyer did not immediately respond Monday to messages seeking comment on the prosecutor’s decision.

The woman went to campus police at that time, but Van Houten said the accuser did not claim she was gang raped or drugged in her initial sworn statement to authorities. The prosecutor also said he was never contacted by the woman’s attorney about her statement or the possibility of reconsidering the decision not to pursue charges, but he contacted the attorney recently.

“Seeking justice sometimes requires us to reconsider or reopen cases when additional evidence is provided to us,” Van Houten said in a statement. “The community has asked me to reconsider the decision whether to pursue criminal charges against the seven fraternity members. I have already begun that process, beginning with our conversation with Jane Doe and her attorneys.”

Cornell responds to criticism over its handling of allegations

The Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, on Monday. Photo by Heather Ainsworth/AP

The university said in a statement that it supported the decision to reopen the investigation. The school said it conducted its own investigation and imposed sanctions, including expulsion of some students and suspension of others. It also said the Chi Phi chapter on campus was closed in 2024 and remains off-limits to campus.

School officials declined Monday to release further information about the sanctions, including the number of students expelled and suspended. Cornell said last week that federal privacy law prohibits it from disclosing specific information about individual students.

“Any suggestion that the university did not impose meaningful sanctions on those involved is false,” the university said. “Continuing the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and less supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault.”

The Chi Phi national chapter did not respond to telephone and email messages Monday.

The school said it conducted an internal disciplinary investigation in 2024. It said a panel of qualified teachers and staff heard testimony over several days and that the woman and those accused were given the opportunity to testify and present evidence.

Lawsuit alleges student was sexually assaulted at party

The woman’s complaint accuses the university of failing to prevent the alleged assaults and failing to properly address sexual violence on campus. It includes a photo that shows a group chat between fraternity members discussing the night’s events.

The woman, who was a 20-year-old Cornell student and sorority member at the time, turned herself in to campus police about three weeks later, according to the lawsuit. The fraternity and seven of its members were temporarily suspended the same day, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint says the seven were given “the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to Cornell.”

Cornell said “none of those charged were given the opportunity to write essays as the sole consequence of their involvement,” pointing to expulsions and suspensions.

Over the weekend, New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned what she called a “rape culture” protected by elite institutions.

“When I read about what happened at Cornell, these men posted in a group chat. That means it was normal for them. That means it was acceptable for them. It’s a culture,” she said Sunday at a forum filled with young people near the Cornell campus.

“And what we need to do is understand that we can no longer protect these spaces.”

School says it has taken additional steps to combat sexual violence

Cornell said a school task force on campus sexual assault, formed in 2025, made recommendations earlier this year, several of which have been implemented while others are being developed.

The task force report said a 2025 school survey showed that 35% of undergraduate women and 8% of undergraduate men reported being victims of sexual assault during their time at Cornell.

Since filing the complaint, the prosecutor said, his office has been inundated with phone calls, voicemails and emails about the case, from people seeking answers and others making insults and threats.

“Community outrage stemming from incomplete information and social media coverage demands that I provide a response as to why the investigation resulted in no criminal charges,” Van Houten said in a statement.

Cornell senior and student government president Eeshaan Chaudhuri said there needs to be a new look at the university’s initial investigation and why the district attorney’s office didn’t do more.

We also need to look at the culture of the fraternity, he said.

“This question poses a broader question, not just at Cornell,” he said. “Clearly, these issues cannot be resolved overnight.”