New details are emerging regarding a civil lawsuit filed by a former Cornell University student who alleges she was drugged and gang-raped by fraternity members in October 2024. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit against seven former Chi Phi fraternity members and the university, claiming they failed to protect her. In response to community pressure, the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office announced it is reopening the criminal investigation to present evidence to a grand jury. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also signed an executive order appointing State Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor and noted that Cornell has agreed to hire outside counsel for an independent probe. The lawsuit claims the plaintiff visited the Chi Phi house while intoxicated, where she was allegedly pressured into taking ketamine and assaulted over several hours. Court documents show a Snapchat message was sent to a group chat suggesting a woman was available upstairs. While Cornell conducted an internal review resulting in disciplinary actions including expulsions and suspensions, no criminal charges were initially filed. The university stated that campus police shared the victim’s sworn statement and relevant evidence with the district attorney’s office in 2024 according to protocol. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated that the initial sworn statement described voluntary participation and omitted key allegations later presented in the civil complaint, though his office will now re-examine the case with the grand jury. Attorneys representing the accused fraternity members have strongly denied the allegations, emphasizing that their clients were cleared of certain charges during internal university proceedings or have evidence contradicting the claims. The fraternity chapter remains barred from campus as legal and independent investigations continue.
Source: cbsnews.com
