Cornell Rape Case Reopened After Lawsuit and Public Outcry

Tompkins County prosecutors in upstate New York reopened a criminal investigation on September 28, 2026, into an alleged 2024 gang rape at Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity, after the alleged victim, identified as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit accusing the school and fraternity of failing to protect her.⁵²

The allegations

Jane Doe, who was 20 at the time, alleges that on October 19, 2024, she was pressured into snorting ketamine by two fraternity brothers before a Snapchat message was sent to a group chat suggesting she was available for sex, after which she says she was raped for hours by multiple men at the Chi Phi fraternity house, according to CBS News.²

Variety reported that a former Cornell student claimed seven men drugged and sexually assaulted her at the fraternity gathering, though the claim has not been independently verified. She is now 20 and is suing the university and fraternity members, according to Variety, though her age and the identity of the plaintiff in the suit are not independently confirmed beyond that single account.⁴

The Hindu reported that the alleged victim says she was drugged with ketamine and raped by seven Chi Phi members in 2024, and that she has accused Cornell of failing to properly punish those involved.⁵

Conflicting statements

Jane Doe reported the incident to Cornell Police about three weeks after October 19, 2024, according to CBS News. CBS News reported, citing the District Attorney's office, that a November 2024 sworn statement from her characterized the drug use and sexual activity as willing and consensual, with no claim that she had been drugged unknowingly or assaulted by multiple men.²

The Tompkins County District Attorney's office said it had not been contacted by Jane Doe's attorneys before the lawsuit was filed, and that it determined at the time that the facts in her November 2024 statement did not constitute a crime, according to CBS News. Van Houten said the new civil complaint raises the possibility of additional evidence: "Now that this lawsuit has been filed, that raises the question that Jane Doe believes there's additional evidence."²³

According to The Hindu, prosecutors had declined to press charges in 2024 because her statement at that time failed to show consent was absent, but they have now agreed to revisit the matter given her newer claims and additional evidence.⁵

Local police in Ithaca said they were never notified of the alleged incident, according to NPR and CBS News.¹²

University response and Title IX process

Cornell conducted a months-long Title IX investigation into the allegations, which resulted in a range of sanctions, according to Cornell's own statement and NPR. Two of the accused were expelled, while, according to Variety, the remaining five received lesser sanctions including temporary suspensions, workshops or essay-writing assignments; Cornell has rejected the specific claim that suspects were offered essays to mitigate their conduct, according to The Hindu.⁴²⁵

Cornell and CBS News reported that the fraternity's Xi Chapter shut down in 2024 and is still not allowed back on campus.⁶²

In its FAQ, Cornell said federal privacy law prevented it from disclosing details of individual students' cases, adding: "We understand why members of our community are asking this question, particularly in light of the deeply troubling allegations." The university also said, "responding to an incident of this seriousness cannot end when an investigation is completed or sanctions are imposed," and that its goal was "not simply to respond appropriately when sexual misconduct is reported, but to build a community in which sexual violence is prevented."⁶

Cornell said it supported the District Attorney's decision to allow the case to go before a grand jury: "Cornell University supports the decision of the Tompkins County District Attorney to provide an opportunity for the victim's story to be heard by a criminal grand jury."²

Legal action and reaction

Jane Doe's attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, said the school and law enforcement had failed his client: "That available evidence was there. They could have utilized it. What they should have done is investigated who was on that group chat and interviewed witnesses." He also said, "She was a young woman who went to Cornell with high hopes, thought that this was her dream come true, and then that didn't happen."³

Jane Doe said in a statement that healing from the trauma has been an ongoing struggle that touches every part of her life.³

NBC News reported it attempted to contact six of the seven accused fraternity members. A lawyer for one of them, Jeremy Saland, representing Scott Kretzachmar, called the lawsuit "not only intentionally dishonest but morally repugnant."³

The case drew public attention beyond Cornell. Actress Florence Pugh posted a statement on Instagram saying she knew such cases had happened before and that colleges repeatedly fail women around the world, writing, "We need our men to be as horrified and sickened as us," according to Variety. Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also condemned what she described as a culture of rape at elite institutions.⁴