Prosecutors Reopen Investigation Into Alleged Sexual Assault Case at Cornell University

Prosecutors in New York state are reopening a criminal investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University after a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month brought new details to light.

The 101-page complaint, filed September 16 by Thomas Giuffra, the attorney for the plaintiff, alleges that seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her at the fraternity house on October 19, 2024, when she was 20 years old. It further alleges that one of the men sent a message to the fraternity’s Snapchat group chat inviting other members to join. A photograph of a portion of that chat is included in the filing. None of the seven fraternity brothers have been criminally charged. Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity, and several other parties, including a local nightclub, are also named in the lawsuit.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten told ABC News that his office plans to present the case to a grand jury. He said the allegations in the civil complaint were “dramatically different” from what the alleged victim, identified as Jane Doe, told police two years ago. “It’s our intention to present the case to the Tompkins County grand jury with Jane Doe’s cooperation,” Van Houten told ABC News. “We want to reexamine whether there's additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment of the case and would result in the grand jury finding that there was criminal conduct.”

According to CBS News, Cornell reportedly conducted a formal investigation involving at least 12 hearings. Giuffra told CBS that two of the seven students were ultimately expelled, while others received lesser sanctions, including suspensions, attending workshops, or writing essays. “Not one of these guys was arrested. Not one. That I can tell you for a fact,” Giuffra said. “There were so many people that could have prevented it and they didn't," Giuffra said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Cornell responded to the lawsuit.

In response to prosecutors reopening the investigation, Cornell said in a statement it supported the decision for the case “to be heard by a criminal grand jury,” while reiterating it conducted an investigation, distinguishing it from a criminal court proceeding. The university also noted the fraternity was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus, and “any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false.”

One defendant, Scott Norris, denied participating in drug use or sexual activity but acknowledged sending the Snapchat message. “I did not participate in any sexual activity or drug use,” Norris told ABC. “I was not found responsible by Cornell for any of the accusations involving sexual activity and drug use for which others received serious consequences. I thoughtlessly engaged in Snapchat and briefly stopped in the room where misconduct happened but not when it happened.” An attorney for one of the defendants “wholeheartedly” denied the allegations against his client in a statement to The Cornell Daily Sun, adding the defense has “documents that thoroughly corroborate our position, including [Doe’s] own words, statements from other parties, and scientific evidence demonstrating they are false.”

The case has prompted significant public reaction.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), speaking at a town hall in Ithaca near the Cornell campus on Sunday, called the alleged Snapchat message evidence of a culture of normalized assault. “This is a culture, this is norms, these are practices,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “What we must do is understand that we cannot protect those spaces anymore.”

Actress Florence Pugh posted a lengthy statement on Instagram, writing, “I’m no longer tired—I’m enraged by schools protecting boys, in fear of their futures being wrecked. What about the life that those girls then have to endure, with the knowledge that his reputation is more precious than her truth?” Pugh also addressed Doe directly, writing, “Know that women everywhere are here to hold you and help you on your healing journey.”

Doe, who ultimately dropped out of Cornell, said in a statement to the Cornell Daily Sun: “What happened to me was horrific and deeply disturbing. Almost two years later, I still carry the weight of its impact every day and night.”