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.
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