The case of a Cornell University student who alleges that she was raped by several members of a fraternity has turned into a growing scandal for the university and for authorities who have been accused of mishandling the case. Now, the New York state government is stepping in to handle the case.
NY Governor appoints AG James to take over Cornell rape case
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that she was appointing the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to take over the Cornell sexual assault case. “Tonight, I signed an executive order appointing Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the Cornell sexual assault case,” Hochul posted on X Thursday evening. “New information has raised serious questions about how this case was handled, and I’ve lost faith in the Tompkins County DA’s ability to fairly oversee it. The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued.”
In a later press conference discussing the move, Hochul continued to criticize officials who had handled the case. “In what world would the police learn from a victim that she’d been literally gang raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney?” Hochul said in remarks to journalists. “In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved or even request the full transcript?”
What are the details that have come to light in the rape allegations at Cornell University?
The former Cornell University student, who was named as “Jane Doe” in the lawsuit, said she was raped on Oct. 19, 2024 at an on-campus frat house. According to the lawsuit, the student said at least seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity raped her after pressuring her to take drugs. Jane Doe added that she reported the incident to Cornell Police shortly after, but the university never questioned the suspects. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, reviewing a summary statement of Jane Doe’s account to police, made the conclusion that all the activities described in the statement were considered consensual under New York law and declined to pursue charges against any of the accused fraternity members.
Prior to being removed by Gov. Hochul, Van Houten announced earlier this week that he was reopening the case following the filing of the civil lawsuit by the victim and the public attention that the case has drawn. Van Houten has defended his earlier actions, claiming that the victim’s initial statement to police did not contain information that indicated a crime had occurred. As the lawsuit has brought intense scrutiny to the case, CBS News New York obtained a transcript of Doe’s interview with police, which contained comments and details, including her assertion that “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped,” that were reportedly not passed to the district attorney, who instead received a summary upon which he made his initial determination to drop the case. These new details have not quieted criticism of Van Houten’s office as well as condemnation of people, which led to Hochul launching an independent review of the case.
Now, that independent review has turned into a full state takeover of the case, with Attorney General James leading the investigation. James will be facing significant public pressure to move the case forward as outrage grows over the way in which Cornell University, the school’s police force and the local district attorney’s office handled the case and dismissed the allegations made.