Overview
- A woman using the name Jane Doe filed a 101-page civil lawsuit in mid‑September alleging she was drugged, incapacitated and gang‑raped at Cornell’s Chi Phi house on Oct. 19, 2024.
- Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said he declined to prosecute in 2024 because the sworn statement his office reviewed described voluntary participation earlier in the night, and he defended that decision while reopening the probe after the new lawsuit.
- A CBS‑obtained transcript reportedly shows Jane Doe told campus police in November 2024, “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped,” a detail the DA says his office did not previously receive and that has prompted renewed scrutiny of the earlier review.
- Van Houten has requested Cornell Title IX records, said prosecutors will meet with the plaintiff and may seek testimony from fraternity members, and plans to present evidence to a grand jury in the coming weeks.
- Governor Kathy Hochul has called for an independent outside review of Cornell’s handling of the allegation and the dispute highlights how Title IX administrative outcomes and criminal proof rules differ and can affect victims’ access to justice.