New York reopens investigation into alleged gang rape at Cornell after student’s lawsuit

New York authorities will reopen an investigation into an alleged sexual assault at Cornell University in 2024. The decision follows a new lawsuit filed by a student who claims that other students drugged and gang-raped her at a fraternity house.

The student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, says she was 20 years old at the time and that the sexual assault lasted several hours. The lawsuit also cites messages exchanged among fraternity members in which she was described as “available for sex.”

Jane Doe filed the lawsuit earlier this month. Following the filing, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced that he would reconsider whether criminal charges should be brought against seven fraternity members.

Van Houten said the community had asked him to revisit the decision not to prosecute the seven members of the student organization. He said the process had already begun with a conversation with the alleged victim and her attorneys.

If it is decided that charges should be filed, the case will be presented to Tompkins County Court. The court will review the woman’s testimony, as well as any new evidence submitted through the lawsuit.

The lawsuit says Jane Doe had gone to a fraternity house to meet a friend and was under the influence of alcohol at the time. She claims that two fraternity members persuaded her to inhale a substance they presented to her as ketamine.

According to her account, a student later wrote a message in a Snapchat group implying that a woman was available for sex. The plaintiff says other people arrived after the message and that she was sexually assaulted for hours.

Three weeks after the incident, Jane Doe reported it to university police. Her attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said the initial investigation ended with two people involved being expelled from the university, but no arrests were made.

Van Houten noted that the account of events in the new lawsuit differs from the statement Jane Doe initially gave authorities. He said that her November 2024 statement mentioned neither the forced use of drugs nor gang rape.

According to the district attorney, in that statement the woman portrayed her involvement in drug use and sexual activity as voluntary, conscious and consensual. He clarified that the earlier decision not to prosecute was not related to the difficulty of proving the case: the evidence available at the time did not establish a basis for a criminal offense.

Van Houten added that the woman’s credibility had not been called into question, although she had described the events in detail.

Ithaca police told CBS News that the incident had not been reported to them and called the allegations disturbing.

Giuffra said his client had been in shock after the incident and that the trauma had prevented her from immediately describing what had happened. According to him, in the days after the assault she was traumatized, numb and unable to function or acknowledge the horror of the event.

The attorney raised questions about how the initial investigation was conducted. He said he expected additional evidence to be gathered and further examinations to be carried out, while his side would cooperate fully with authorities during the review.

Cornell University expressed support for reopening the case. The institution said it had conducted its own investigation under Title IX, the federal law addressing discrimination and sexual abuse in educational institutions.

According to the university, temporary suspensions and other disciplinary measures were imposed during that investigation. At the conclusion of the process, several students received sanctions, including expulsions and suspensions.

The fraternity was shut down in 2024 and remains banned from the Cornell campus. Its representatives described the allegations as “deeply disturbing” and said that anyone reporting sexual violence should be treated with respect and dignity. The organization said it condemns sexual violence and will respect the legal process, but would not comment on the specific allegations while the case is ongoing.