Cornell rape allegations prompt NY Attorney General Letitia James to open ‘active criminal investigation’
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday morning she has opened an "active criminal investigation" into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University in 2024.
"This is now an active criminal investigation led by the office of the attorney general," James said after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed her as an independent special prosecutor in the case.
"Every New Yorker deserves to know that when they report a crime, it will be investigated fully and fairly, that they will be seen and heard. That is the promise of our justice system," she said.
"I stand ready to lead a process guided by the facts and the law. In the coming months, my office will dutifully carry out the responsibilities the governor has conferred upon us in this executive order. We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions. I know that you want answers. I do too," she added.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James attend a press conference regarding an investigation into alleged sexual assault at Cornell University, in New York City, US, October 2, 2026. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)
Hochul signed an executive order appointing James as the special prosecutor on Thursday, citing "serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute an alleged sexual assault on Cornell University's campus in October 2024."
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A woman identified only as Jane Doe filed a civil complaint in September accusing seven members of Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity of sexual assault and rape.
In the complaint, Doe alleges she "was plied with alcohol and drugs to the point of intoxication by members of Xi chapter's fraternal organization," which resulted in her "being sexually assaulted and raped by members of Xi chapter's regional fraternal organization at Cornell University."
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The Tompkins County District Attorney reviewed the case at the time and chose not to pursue criminal charges.
"Jane Doe’s sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped. On the contrary, Jane Doe’s statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual. My office obviously did not and could not have based our November 2024 decision on the allegations in a civil lawsuit that would not be filed until nearly two years later," the District Attorney's office wrote in a Sept. 28, 2026 statement.
In a statement to Fox News following Friday's press conference, Cornell University said, "We fully support the appointment of a special prosecutor and efforts to change New York State’s rape law and are committed to an independent external review of all aspects of how Cornell has handled this case."
The offices of New York's attorney general and the Tompkins County district attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
"According to new reports, [Jane Doe] could not have been clearer that she was 100% confident that she had been raped. Yet, shockingly, those words never made it into the account that the Cornell police sent to prosecutors," Hochul explained, citing a New York Times article. The report claimed Doe did tell Cornell police officers that she was raped but that information did not make its way into the voluntary statement the department sent to the district attorney's office.
"The attorney general then declined to pursue charges after reviewing that incomplete account and never interviewing her. Think about that. In what world would the police learn from a victim that she'd been literally gang raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house, and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney? In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved, or even request the full transcript?" Hochul asked.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James attend a press conference regarding an investigation into alleged sexual assault at Cornell University, in New York City, US, October 2, 2026. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)
Matthew Van Houten, the Tompkins County district attorney, claimed he had never been informed the statement he received was inaccurate or incomplete.
"I have never been contacted by Jane Doe’s attorneys. Not to inform me the original statement was inaccurate and not to ask me to reconsider our decision. Rather, I reached out to Jane Doe’s attorneys after the lawsuit was filed to understand the discrepancy between the original statement and the lawsuit’s allegations and the proper path forward in light of the lawsuit’s allegations," he wrote in his statement.
Students on Libe Slope at the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, US, on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Hochul told the public during her press conference that, in addition to James' criminal investigation, Cornell University has also reopened an investigation.
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