Tompkins County prosecutors have reopened their investigation into allegations that seven Cornell University fraternity members drugged and sexually assaulted a former student in 2024. The case is being reopened after a civil lawsuit was filed by the student earlier this month which caused a widespread public backlash.
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten told ABC News that his office is considering presenting the matter to a grand jury if additional evidence supports criminal charges.
Less than two weeks ago, a 101-page lawsuit was filed in New York Supreme Court by a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe.
The complaint alleged she was drugged and repeatedly sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at the university’s Ithaca campus in October 2024. The allegations have also drawn attention from celebrities, including Florence Pugh.
District attorney says case will be reexamined
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said the allegations described in the civil lawsuit differ substantially from the information initially reviewed by his office in late 2024.
{{/usCountry}}District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said the allegations described in the civil lawsuit differ substantially from the information initially reviewed by his office in late 2024.
{{/usCountry}}“It is our intention to present the case to the Tompkins County grand jury with Jane Doe’s cooperation,” Van Houten told ABC News.
He said prosecutors want to determine whether evidence now available could justify criminal charges. He also acknowledged that his office relied heavily on Cornell University Police during the original review and did not “independently investigate” the allegations.
Van Houten further said a Snapchat group chat referenced in the lawsuit had not previously been provided to prosecutors. According to the complaint, one fraternity member allegedly sent a message to a group chat inviting others to participate in the assault.
Jane Doe’s attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, disputed Van Houten’s account, arguing investigators had received the “critical piece of evidence” and failed to conduct a trauma-informed follow-up interview with his client.
Giuffra further added, “In my experience, speaking with an abuse survivor requires delicacy, understanding and specialized training. An average University Police officer would not have these skills. It would be the role of a specially trained detective or district attorney. However, Ms. Doe was never contacted by anybody with those skills.”
What the lawsuit alleged and Cornell’s response
The lawsuit named seven former Chi Phi fraternity members and alleged the assault began after Jane Doe arrived at the fraternity house following a night out with friends.
The complaint claimed she was pressured into consuming drugs and alcohol before multiple men sexually assaulted her over several hours while she was incapacitated.
The lawsuit also alleged that only two of the seven accused students were expelled. The other received lesser disciplinary sanctions like writing an essay. Jane Doe later withdrew from Cornell.
Cornell has said it investigated the allegations through its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct in accordance with university policy. The university said the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remains barred from campus. Federal privacy laws prevent it from discussing disciplinary action involving individual students.
According to the Cornell Sun, Cornell’s Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault reported that 35% of undergraduate women surveyed experienced non-consensual sexual contact in 2025, compared with 23% in 2023.