New York prosecutors have reopened a criminal investigation into allegations that seven Cornell University fraternity members sexually assaulted a student in 2024. The case is set to be presented to a grand jury following renewed scrutiny.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office would reassess the allegations after the former student, identified in a civil lawsuit as Jane Doe, filed a complaint against the seven men, Cornell University and other defendants earlier this month.
The lawsuit alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.
Van Houten said prosecutors did not pursue criminal charges in 2024 because the woman's account to campus police at the time described her drug use and sexual activity as voluntary and consensual. He said the allegations in the recent civil lawsuit differ from that original account.
The woman's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, disputes that characterisation. He has said the police report was not materially different from the civil complaint and accused authorities of failing to conduct a thorough investigation, including examining a fraternity Snapchat group chat allegedly connected to the incident.
Van Houten said the civil lawsuit raised questions about whether additional evidence was available and that his office wanted to speak with the woman and examine any new information before presenting the case to a grand jury.
The lawsuit alleges that the woman, who was 20 at the time, was pressured to consume alcohol and drugs before she became unable to consent. It also cites messages allegedly exchanged in a fraternity group chat encouraging other members to participate.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and no criminal charges have been announced.
Cornell said it supports the decision to reopen the criminal investigation and defended its handling of the allegations in 2024.
The university said its separate Title IX investigation resulted in a range of sanctions, including expulsions and suspensions. The Chi Phi chapter involved in the case was barred from campus in 2024 and remains prohibited from operating there, according to Cornell.
Cornell rejected claims that students involved faced only essay-writing as punishment, saying that suggestion was false.
Lawyers for at least two of the men named in the lawsuit have denied wrongdoing.
Attorney Jeremy Saland, who represents Scott Kretzschmar, said his client only made an immature comment in the Snapchat conversation and had no other involvement. He said Kretzschmar welcomed the renewed investigation.
The case has also prompted action from local and state officials.
Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo has proposed an immediate moratorium on student and special-event permits, including Greek-life gatherings and other student events at Cornell.
The proposal would require approval from the Ithaca Common Council and would remain in effect until Cornell reviews its procedures for preventing and responding to sexual violence and publicly releases updated standards.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has backed the reopening of the criminal investigation and called for an independent review of Cornell's response to the allegations.
Hochul described the allegations as “horrifying” and said an outside review should determine whether the university met its obligations to protect students and pursue justice.
The criminal investigation remains ongoing, with prosecutors expected to determine potential charges before presenting the case to a grand jury.
The allegations have also triggered a wave of reaction on social media, with users calling for accountability from the accused students, Cornell and authorities.
Posts about the case have circulated widely, while some users have also attempted to identify the men named in the lawsuit and contact their employers, according to reporting on the online response.
Prosecutors said the public reaction included calls for answers as well as insults and threats directed at the district attorney's office.
The visibility of the case has also prompted discussion over how social media platforms handle posts about sexual violence.
Several actors and other public figures have publicly commented on the case.
Actress Florence Pugh said an Instagram post in which she addressed the allegations had been placed behind a sensitive-content warning, asking whether she was being censored for discussing rape. The post was subsequently accessible again, according to Variety.
Pugh urged men to speak out against sexual violence and said universities should do more to protect students.
Actor Josh Gad criticised what he understood to be the disciplinary response described in the lawsuit, while actor Hudson Williams called for the accused men to be arrested.
Actress Mariska Hargitay also shared posts condemning the allegations and questioning whether other fraternity members could have intervened.
Actress Jameela Jamil also posted about the case, calling for criminal accountability for those found responsible.
Some of the celebrity posts have used highly charged language, reflecting the broader anger surrounding the allegations.
The accused men, however, have not been convicted, and lawyers representing some of them have denied the allegations. Cornell has also disputed claims that the students received only essay-writing assignments, saying its Title IX proceedings resulted in suspensions and expulsions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is arriving in Oslo for talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Norwegian government has said. U.S. Presi...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said regional issues should be res...
Georgia’s Constitutional Court in Batumi will on Wednesday hear a lawsuit seeking to ban five Georgian opposition parties, four of whic...
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for continuing to target Russia's energy infrastructure, while Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight killed at least one person and damaged a metro station.
The day after waiving sanctions and tariffs related to Russian exports, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he has yet to announce a final decision on the matter as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials want more time to evaluate the situation.
French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the violence, looting and vandalism that erupted during cost-of-living protests across France. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held crisis talks on Monday, calling for partial curfews and raising the possibility of a state of emergency.
An oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said late Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is arriving in Oslo for talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Norwegian government has said. U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is also expected in the Norwegian capital this week for talks with Zelenskyy and European officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is arriving in Oslo for talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Norwegian government has said. U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is also expected in the Norwegian capital this week for talks with Zelenskyy and European officials.
Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta voted to remain part of the country in a non-binding referendum on Monday, 19 October, CBC News reports, delivering a much-needed victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney amid an ongoing trade war with the United States.
A Kenyan court has convicted cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 28 co-defendants of murder over the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, in a case that shocked the world and exposed one of the deadliest cult-related tragedies in recent memory.
The U.S. and five Central Asian nations have held high-level talks in Samarkand, focusing on trade, investment and regional security as Washington seeks to strengthen its presence in the strategically important region.
French authorities imposed local curfews in parts of Paris, Lille and Nice on Monday after a weekend of riots and looting linked to nationwide anti-government protests, as the government faced mounting criticism over security failures.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment