Cornell probe: Governor vows to change N.Y. rape law that makes reporting hard when intoxication present
New York's governor and attorney general were set to give an update Friday morning about the investigation into a woman's allegations that she was gang raped at a Cornell University fraternity house beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET.
State takes over probe from Tompkins County, where Ivy League school is located
The Associated Press
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N.Y. governor, attorney general give update on investigation into alleged Cornell gang rape
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James are expected to provide an update into an investigation into a former student's allegations she was gang-raped at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024.New York's governor and attorney general were set to give an update Friday morning about the investigation into a woman's allegations that she was gang raped at a Cornell University fraternity house beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday she appointed the office of Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor to oversee the investigation, saying she had lost faith in the local district attorney's ability to handle the case.
The investigation had initially been closed without charges in 2024.
Last month, the woman filed a lawsuit and Tompkins County district attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the investigation. He has since been bombarded by criticism that he abandoned the original investigation too quickly.
The attorney general will oversee the investigation and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury, Hochul said.
"The young woman at the centre of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued," she said in a statement on Thursday.
Messages left for Van Houten were not immediately returned late Thursday.
The case has roiled the Ivy League campus and raised questions about its response and the larger issue of how sexual assaults are handled on college campuses.
Over more than two hours on Thursday, students and other members of the Cornell community expressed anger, frustration and grief over the school's handling of sexual assault allegations in general, with several speakers sharing their own experiences of sexual violence.
Many criticized Cornell president Michael I. Kotlikoff and the university's administration, calling for greater transparency and accountability in the handling of the case, stronger sexual assault prevention efforts and changes to fraternity life.
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The woman, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, told campus police in November 2024 that she was assaulted, then discussed it with the university's internal investigators as part of Cornell's disciplinary process.
The lawsuit against seven fraternity brothers, the university, the Chi Phi fraternity and others alleges that she was plied with drugs and alcohol, then subjected to sex acts by a group of men while she was partially or entirely incapacitated.
One of the men sent a social media message to other fraternity members alerting them to what was happening, and inviting people to take part, according to the lawsuit.
Lawyers for two of the men she is suing have denied they participated in a sexual assault. One said his client hadn't touched the woman. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach the other men or their representatives have been unsuccessful.
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