US prosecutor reopens investigation into alleged gang rape at Cornell fraternity

A United States prosecutor has reopened an investigation into allegations a woman was plied with alcohol and drugs and gang-raped by seven students at a Cornell University fraternity.

The woman, identified only by a pseudonym, filed a lawsuit on September 16, saying she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house on the Ivy League campus in October 2024.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said on Monday, local time, his office would present evidence to a New York grand jury as he faced questions from the public about why there were no criminal prosecutions in the case.

The alleged victim said the incident occurred after she was pressured into snorting ketamine, smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol, then became completely incapacitated while frat members sexually assaulted her.

The lawsuit, the reopening of the investigation and Cornell's response have sparked a flood of commentary on social media.

Many people have criticised the school and the district attorney's office in their posts, while some have expressed doubt about the lawsuit's allegations.

Others have posted photos of the seven fraternity members online.

The accuser is suing the men, the Chi Phi fraternity, the university, an Ithaca bar and others, seeking undisclosed damages.

Her attorney did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the prosecutor's decision.

The woman went to campus police at the time, but Mr Van Houten said the accuser did not make any claims of being gang-raped or drugged in her initial sworn statement to authorities.

The prosecutor also said he was never contacted by the woman's attorney about her statement or about reconsidering the decision not to prosecute, but he reached out to the attorney recently.

"I have been asked by the community to revisit the decision whether to pursue criminal charges against the seven fraternity members."

"I have already begun that process, starting with our conversation with Jane Doe and her attorneys."

Cornell responds to criticism about its handling of allegations

The university said in a statement it supported the decision to reopen the investigation.

The school said it conducted its own investigation and issued sanctions, including expelling some students and suspending others.

It also said the on-campus Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus.

School officials on Monday declined to release more information on the sanctions, including how many students were expelled and suspended.

Cornell said last week that federal privacy law barred it from disclosing specific information on individual students.

"Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false,"

"A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the under-reporting of sexual assault."

The national chapter of Chi Phi did not return phone and email messages.

The school said it conducted an internal disciplinary investigation in 2024. It said a panel of trained faculty and staff heard evidence over multiple days, and both the woman and the people accused had the opportunity to testify and present evidence.

Lawsuit alleges student was sexually assaulted during a night of celebrating

The woman's complaint accused the university of not preventing the alleged assaults and failing to properly address sexual violence on campus.

It included a photo that it says shows a group chat between frat members discussing the night's events.

The woman, who was a 20-year-old Cornell student at the time and a sorority member, went to campus police about three weeks later, according to the lawsuit.

The fraternity and seven of its members were placed on temporary suspension that same day, the lawsuit said.

The complaint said the seven were given "the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to Cornell."

Cornell said "none of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement", noting the expulsions and suspensions.

Over the weekend, New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned what she called a "culture of rape" that was protected at elite institutions.

"That means it was acceptable to them. This is a culture."

"And what we must do is understand that we cannot protect those spaces anymore."

School says it has taken additional action to address sexual violence

Cornell said a school taskforce on campus sexual assault formed in 2025 made recommendations earlier this year, several of which had been implemented while others were in development.

The taskforce report said a 2025 school survey showed 35 per cent of undergraduate women and 8 per cent of undergraduate men reported experiencing sexual assault during their time at Cornell.

Mr Van Housten said that since the lawsuit was filed, his office has been flooded with phone calls, voicemails and emails about the case from people seeking answers and others making insults and threats.

"The community outrage stemming from the incomplete news and social media coverage requires that I provide an answer to why the investigation resulted in a lack of criminal charges,"

he said.