Overview
- A former Cornell student known as Jane Doe filed a 101-page civil lawsuit in September that says she was drugged and gang raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024.
- Tompkins County prosecutors have reopened the criminal inquiry and Governor Kathy Hochul appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to lead the reinvestigation.
- Cornell president Michael Kotlikoff publicly acknowledged the case, confirmed an independent outside‑law‑firm review of the university’s response, and promised immediate and longer-term reforms to prevention, mental‑health and investigative processes.
- University Title IX proceedings earlier led to two expulsions and lesser sanctions for other students, while the seven men named in the civil suit and their lawyers deny wrongdoing and there remain conflicting accounts about intoxication and consent.
- The filings and newly public materials have sparked campus protests, social media solidarity and national commentary, and the dual criminal and civil tracks could prompt changes to how colleges handle allegations and Greek‑life oversight.