Overview
- A former Cornell student known as Jane Doe alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven Chi Phi members on October 19, 2024, and she filed a civil lawsuit on September 16, 2026.
- The Tompkins County district attorney has announced a renewed review of the police investigation to assess whether evidence from the civil filings supports criminal charges.
- The plaintiff's attorney says only two of the seven accused were expelled and the others received milder punishments such as short suspensions, workshops or essays.
- Cornell says a panel of trained staff imposed a range of sanctions, denies that any student was punished only with an essay, and says the chapter was removed from campus.
- The case has provoked broad public and political attention, prompted calls for an independent inquiry from New York officials, and will likely keep producing evidence and scrutiny as the civil and criminal reviews proceed.