Cornell Student's Lawsuit Prompts Reopening of Fraternity Rape Case

A former Cornell University student has filed a civil lawsuit against the college, seven fraternity members and an Ithaca bar, alleging she was drugged and gang-raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. The filing prompted Tompkins County prosecutors to announce on September 28, 2026 that they are reopening a criminal investigation into the case.¹³⁵¹⁰

The allegations

Jane Doe, identified in court papers by a pseudonym, alleges she was drugged with ketamine without her knowledge and gang-raped for seven hours at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024, according to the lawsuit. She says at least five other fraternity members joined the assault after a Snapchat group message alerted them to a possible sexual encounter with her.³⁴¹

Her attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said the ordeal derailed her education. "Giuffra said the ordeal has forced her out of school entirely. he added that she is barely coping with what the men subjected her to. Jane Doe herself described the assault as the worst experience of her life, saying, "I was brutalized and it injured me physically but perhaps more importantly, emotionally."⁵²

University's response

Cornell conducted an internal Title IX investigation that opened in January 2025 and involved at least twelve hearings over several months. Of the seven fraternity members accused, two faced expulsion, while the rest were given lighter penalties, among them interim suspensions handed down in November 2024. The Chi Phi chapter, known as the Xi chapter, was closed and remains barred from campus.⁷⁵⁹

The university has rejected claims that punishment was limited to essay-writing. Kyle Kimball, who holds the role of vice-president for university relations at Cornell, verified that the inquiry led to both expulsions and suspensions, though he pointed to federal student-privacy law as the reason the school could not release specifics on any individual student. Cornell warned that repeating the claim of minimal consequences was "irresponsible" and would "perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault."⁷⁹

A conflicting account

The Tompkins County District Attorney's office had previously determined there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. According to Van Houten, that determination was grounded in a sworn statement Jane Doe gave in November 2024, in which she reportedly framed her involvement in the drug use and sexual encounter as willing and consensual, with no claim of being drugged or assaulted by multiple men.¹²

Van Houten said the allegations in the civil lawsuit are markedly different from that earlier account, and that her attorneys had never contacted his office to say the original statement was inaccurate. "On the contrary, Jane Doe's statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual," he said, adding that such evidence was "not enough to prosecute someone criminally."²¹

Reopened investigation

Following the lawsuit and what Van Houten described as public outrage fuelled by incomplete news and social media coverage, his office said it would reexamine the case and present evidence to a grand jury. "We want to reexamine whether there's additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment," he said, adding that if sufficient new evidence emerges, prosecutors "will do it zealously."⁷²

His office said it had received numerous calls, voicemails and emails from the public about the case since the lawsuit was filed on September 16, 2026 in New York County Supreme Court.¹⁰

Reactions

Chi Phi's national headquarters said the allegations were "deeply concerning" and stated that "anyone who reports sexual violence deserves to be heard and treated with compassion, dignity, and respect," adding that the organisation "unequivocally condemns sexual violence." One defendant, Scott Kretzschmar, denied wrongdoing through his attorney, Jeremy Saland, who called the suit against his client "intentionally dishonest and morally repugnant," saying Kretzschmar made only "an immature comment on Snapchat" and "did nothing else."⁵²

During an Ithaca town hall, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faulted the university's disciplinary approach, contending that Cornell treats a suspension as though it were grounds for deportation, while allowing those accused of rape to face nothing more than writing an essay in private.⁷