Overview
- The complaint says a 20-year-old student was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted for hours by seven men at a Cornell fraternity on October 19, 2024.
- The victim filed a civil lawsuit on September 18, 2026 that made detailed allegations public, including heavy alcohol use, coerced ketamine use, and Snapchat group messages posted by fraternity members.
- Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten initially declined to prosecute but reopened the probe in early October 2026 and Governor Kathy Hochul removed him from the case and named Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.
- Cornell has launched an independent review of its handling of the complaint after the suit accused the university of punishing only two students harshly while imposing mild measures on others and after the victim said she left school and lost tuition.
- Public pressure has grown through a website naming the accused and prominent voices commenting, and New York lawmakers have begun reviewing state sexual-assault laws and campus procedures for possible reforms.