Overview
- A former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe filed a civil suit in September 2026 alleging she was drugged with marijuana and ketamine and gang‑raped by seven Chi Phi fraternity members at a 2024 party.
- Governor Kathy Hochul named New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to lead the criminal review, with Tompkins County prosecutors cooperating in the inquiry.
- Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten previously declined to charge after saying the plaintiff’s 2024 statement described the sexual activity as consensual and did not allege drugging or gang rape.
- Cornell’s Title IX process in 2025 produced expulsions for two members and lesser sanctions for others, and the university has launched an independent review and cited a Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault.
- The case has provoked national debate, high‑profile media commentary and campus protests, prompted calls for gag orders over media statements, and coincided with reports of doxxing and threats against the plaintiff and her lawyers.