New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor on October 2, 2026, to investigate a 2024 gang rape allegation at Cornell University. Hochul criticized local prosecutors and campus police for failing the survivor, citing newly released records that reveal critical omissions in initial police reports.
The criminal inquiry centers on an undergraduate student identified in legal filings as Jane Doe, who alleges she was drugged with ketamine and assaulted by members of the Chi Phi fraternity’s Xi Chapter on October 20, 2024. Although she reported the incident to campus police weeks later, no criminal charges were brought by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten at the time, sparking intense campus protests and a civil lawsuit filed on September 14 against the university and seven current and former students known publicly as the Cornell 7.
Governor Hochul Appoints Special Prosecutor and Targets New York Law
Speaking alongside Attorney General Letitia James during a Friday press conference in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she signed an executive order appointing New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to lead the investigation. Hochul expressed deep dismay over how law enforcement handled the initial disclosures, pointing to newly published reporting that revealed the survivor’s explicit statements to police were left out of the case file sent to prosecutors.
According to new reports, she could not have been clearer that she was 100 percent confident that she had been raped.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York Governor, via CBS News
The revelation has placed the Tompkins County District Attorney’s office and the Cornell University Police Department under intense public scrutiny. Van Houten stated that his office did not receive the interview transcript containing those statements before deciding against filing charges in late 2024, noting that his office will cooperate fully with the Attorney General. Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James confirmed that her office will examine the evidence and pursue charges if the evidence supports them.
Legislative Push to Reform New York Voluntary Intoxication Statutes
Alongside the special prosecutor appointment, Hochul vowed to close a loophole in state law that complicates prosecutions when a survivor was voluntarily intoxicated during an assault. Under current New York statutes, survivors face high hurdles proving mental incapacitation unless they can demonstrate they were physically helpless and unable to communicate consent. Expressing support for legislative reform, Hochul added that closing this loophole is an objective she can accomplish.
Voluntary intoxication is not a licence for sexual assault or gang rape.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York Governor, via CBC
State lawmakers are moving to address the issue.
Campus Protests and Disclosures from Confidential Records
The case has roiled the Ithaca campus, leading to emotional demonstrations and student town halls. Over 100 students, faculty members, and alumni gathered for a student government hearing where attendees criticized Cornell administrators for their transparency and handling of campus fraternity culture. During a recent visit to downtown Ithaca, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also addressed the community, condemning the pervasive campus environment.
Cornell University representatives defended their disciplinary record, stating that the institution conducted a thorough Title IX investigation involving faculty panels, which resulted in expulsions and suspensions. Kyle Kimball, Vice President for University Relations, emphasized that university punishments were severe and that the involved Chi Phi fraternity chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus. Administration officials also noted that temporary suspensions and restrictive measures were utilized throughout the investigative phase.
Newly obtained records and investigative reports published by ABC News also revealed text message exchanges between the survivor and one of the fraternity members following the incident, alongside photographs from inside the fraternity house bedroom showing the space littered with alcohol bottles, a fentanyl test strip, and sorority composite materials. Additional materials from Snapchat group chats involving over 50 fraternity brothers showed members exchanging messages and photographs while the assault was reportedly taking place.
“At the end of the day non of the sexual stuff was illegal and honestly I really liked being with u.”
Jane Doe, survivor, via ABC News
Nearly two weeks after those initial text exchanges, the survivor’s position shifted sharply in subsequent messages included in the case file, where she wrote to a participant, Let’s be clear that 90% of what happened that night was not consensual
and described feeling like a sex doll/worker
after being given ketamine.
