An upstate New York prosecutor has reopened an investigation into a 2024 incident at Cornell University, where a former undergraduate student filed a lawsuit alleging she was drugged and raped by seven men at the Chi Phi fraternity house. The case dates back to August 2022 when Jane Doe began her freshman year at Cornell in Ithaca, New York. On October 18, 2024, an individual overdosed on ketamine at the Chi Phi house, according to a university report. Between October 19 and 20, 2024, Jane Doe alleged she was drugged and assaulted during a party after arriving already intoxicated from her sorority house and two local bars. She stated she accepted drugs and alcohol before losing consciousness. On October 20, a fraternity member allegedly posted in a Snapchat group about free sex upstairs. Jane Doe exchanged text messages with Male No. 1 over the following days, expressing shame over rumors and noting her reputation was ruined. On November 8, 2024, she filed a report with campus police, prompting Cornell to temporarily suspend the Chi Phi chapter and several involved students. By November 14, campus police asked the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office to review the case, and prosecutors initially decided against filing charges. Cornell Interim President Michael Kotlikoff issued a statement on November 26 describing serious allegations of drug abuse and sexual violence, and the university later confirmed Chi Phi was closed and barred from campus. Trey Robb, interim executive director of Chi Phi, stated that all accused members were expelled from the chapter within three days of the police report. Cornell commenced a Title IX investigation on January 14, 2025, and established a Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault on February 6. Title IX hearings were conducted between May 2 and May 29, 2025. On November 4, 2025, Cornell released a survey showing that 35% of undergraduate women and 8% of undergraduate men reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact since attending the university. Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit on September 16, 2026, against Cornell, Chi Phi, her sorority, and the seven men. Following a critical student editorial, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced on September 27, 2026, that he was reopening the investigation after speaking with the victim and her attorney. He noted that her initial sworn statement described voluntary participation in drug use and sexual conduct. Lawyers for accused men Scott Kretzschmar, Scott Norris, and Gillio Lopes denied the allegations. The Ithaca Police Department stated the matter was never reported to them directly. On September 28, 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for an outside investigation into Cornell’s campus culture. The following day, Hochul announced that Cornell agreed to an independent review, and ABC News obtained portions of Jane Doe’s full police statement where she mentioned feeling coerced. On October 1, 2026, Governor Hochul issued an executive order appointing New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor for the case, citing concerns over the initial investigations conducted by campus police and the district attorney.
Source: abcnews.com
