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New York prosecutors have reopened a Cornell sexual assault investigation involving allegations against seven fraternity members. The decision follows a civil lawsuit filed by a former student over an alleged 2024 assault at a Chi Phi fraternity house.
No criminal charges have been filed. The lawsuit’s allegations have not been proven in court.
Prosecutors Plan Grand Jury Presentation
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office will reexamine the October 2024 incident. Prosecutors plan to present evidence to a grand jury with the former student’s cooperation.
The grand jury can consider her testimony and any evidence that was unavailable during the original review. It will then determine whether there is sufficient evidence to issue indictments.
“We want to reexamine whether there’s additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024,” Van Houten told ABC News.
Van Houten said his office originally relied on information gathered by the Cornell University Police Department. He acknowledged that prosecutors did not conduct an independent investigation at the time.
Lawsuit Details Cornell Sexual Assault Allegations
The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, filed the civil lawsuit Sept. 14 in New York state court. She sued Cornell University, Chi Phi organizations, seven current or former fraternity members and several other parties.
The complaint alleges the student was drugged and sexually assaulted at Cornell’s Chi Phi house on Oct. 19, 2024. She was 20 at the time.
According to the lawsuit, the student became intoxicated before arriving at the fraternity house. She alleges fraternity members then coerced her into consuming a substance described as ketamine.
The complaint further alleges that seven men assaulted her while she could not legally consent. It also includes an alleged fraternity group-chat message sent during the incident.
Jane Doe reported the incident to Cornell police on Nov. 8, 2024, according to the complaint.
District Attorney Explains Earlier Decision
Van Houten said the allegations in the new civil complaint differ substantially from the statement prosecutors reviewed in 2024.
The district attorney said that earlier statement described the sexual activity as voluntary, conscious and consensual. He said prosecutors could not have considered allegations that were not included in the information presented at the time.
However, Van Houten also acknowledged that sexual assault survivors may need time to process what happened before providing a complete account.
The reopened investigation does not mean prosecutors have reached conclusions about criminal responsibility. A grand jury must review the evidence before charges can proceed.
Cornell Supports Reopened Investigation
Cornell said it supports giving the former student an opportunity to address a criminal grand jury.
The university also said it completed a separate Title IX investigation. According to Cornell, trained faculty and staff reviewed evidence during a hearing that lasted several days.
Cornell said the process resulted in sanctions that included suspensions and expulsions. It disputed suggestions that essay writing served as the sole consequence for any person found responsible.
The university previously declined to reveal individual disciplinary outcomes, citing federal student privacy laws. Cornell also said the Chi Phi chapter remains barred from campus.
Defendant Denies Allegations
An attorney representing one of the seven men denied the allegations. The attorney said the incident described in the lawsuit “did not happen” and claimed evidence supports the defense’s position.
Other defendants had not publicly provided detailed responses as of Monday morning. Each defendant is entitled to respond through the civil and criminal legal processes.
The Cornell sexual assault investigation will now move into a new evidence-review phase. The civil lawsuit will continue separately, while the grand jury considers whether criminal charges are supported.