Overview
- A notice of discontinuance filed Tuesday removed Orazio Petito from the civil complaint after the plaintiff’s lawyers acknowledged he was misidentified as the Chi Phi chapter president.
- The active civil suit still names seven former Chi Phi members and alleges the plaintiff was manipulated into ingesting ketamine and alcohol, became incapacitated, and was sexually exploited.
- Governor Kathy Hochul removed the Tompkins County district attorney from the matter and assigned AG Letitia James as special prosecutor to oversee the reopened criminal inquiry.
- Cornell’s separate 2025 Title IX process led to expulsions, a chapter shutdown and the university’s suspension of all fraternity social events through the 2026–27 school year while Sally Yates conducts an independent review.
- The case has driven large campus protests, faculty backlash and debates over consent laws and evidence sharing, and the AG review could prompt new criminal charges or renewed scrutiny of how campus investigations are handled.