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4h ago

Cornell Confronts State Criminal Probe, Mass Protests and Planned Faculty No‑Confidence Vote

A state special prosecutor is leading a reopened criminal inquiry that is putting pressure on Cornell to change how it handles sexual‑assault allegations.

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This photo taken on October 2, 2026, shows students walking through campus at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. An alleged gang rape at Cornell University, detailed in a graphic lawsuit last month, has provoked fury in the United States over sexual violence on campuses and colleges' failure to stamp out the behavior. The accuser has said that in 2024 she was drugged with ketamine, assaulted and raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, a social club for male students. New York Attorney General Letitia James has been appointed special prosecutor to investigate the alleged gang rape at Cornell University, the state's governor announced, following an outcry over prosecutors' decision not to file charges two years ago. Matt Burkhartt / AFP via Getty

Overview

  • Last week Governor Kathy Hochul named New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor and the state opened an active criminal investigation into a 2024 alleged gang rape at the Chi Phi fraternity.
  • A 101‑page civil lawsuit filed in September 2026 made transcripts, messages and screenshots public and prompted prosecutors to reexamine evidence that Tompkins County prosecutors had earlier declined to charge.
  • The Faculty Senate has scheduled a rare no‑confidence vote in the university’s central administration for Oct. 14, and thousands of students and some faculty protested on campus Monday to demand accountability.
  • Cornell’s own 2025 survey showed rising reports of nonconsensual sexual contact — overall reports rose from 11% to 15% and undergraduate women’s reports rose from 23% to 35% — and state filings show more than 1,200 incidents over seven years with seven expulsions.
  • Cornell has appointed former deputy attorney general Sally Yates to lead an external review and officials have pledged reforms, but the probe and campus actions increase the risk of criminal charges, governance changes, and policy overhauls affecting students and staff.