Overview
- Governor Kathy Hochul announced the appointment on Friday after newly public records raised serious questions about what Cornell police and the Tompkins County district attorney had reviewed.
- Attorney General Letitia James said her office has opened an active criminal investigation that will gather evidence, interview witnesses, and could lead to grand‑jury presentations and prosecutions if the facts support charges.
- The renewed probe followed a September civil lawsuit by the woman identified as Jane Doe that names seven Chi Phi members and includes chat screenshots and other materials not previously public.
- Records released this week show a campus police transcript in which the alleged victim said she was “100 percent” confident she had been raped, a detail prosecutors say did not appear in the account they received in 2024.
- Cornell has closed the Chi Phi chapter, disciplined some students and agreed to an independent review, the Tompkins County DA says his office will cooperate, and officials have called for possible changes to New York law on intoxication and consent.