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New York attorney general takes over Cornell investigation

The Cornell investigation has entered a new phase. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to review allegations that a woman was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple men at a fraternity house at Cornell University.

Under the governor's decision, oversight of the case has been taken away from Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who had been leading the investigation. Hochul said newly surfaced information raised serious questions about how the case was handled and that she had lost confidence in the local prosecutor's ability to manage the process impartially.

What will the special prosecutor do?

The attorney general's office, led by Letitia James, will examine any possible crimes uncovered in the investigation. If needed, charges could be filed and evidence could be presented to a grand jury.

  • All facts in the case are expected to be reviewed again.
  • The state government said a new update on the investigation will be provided Friday morning local time.

Why was the case reopened?

The woman at the center of the case is referred to in court documents as Jane Doe. In September, Doe filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University, alleging that she was drugged and raped by seven men at a fraternity house in 2024.

The filing argued that the university failed to protect her and did not adequately punish the men later identified as the Cornell Seven. The case returned to the spotlight after the civil lawsuit drew national attention.

What are the sides saying?

Van Houten had previously said no charges were filed because the evidence did not meet the legal threshold. The prosecutor said he initially saw a statement from the woman indicating the encounter had been consensual and that she had not been drugged, while many of the details that later emerged publicly had not been shared with his office.

Cornell University said it had shared evidence from its own internal investigation with prosecutors. The university said this included a Snapchat group chat in which fraternity members discussed a "free" sexual encounter with Doe on the night of the alleged assault.

Doe's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, also said the local prosecutor had changed his account of the case several times after news reports. With the state attorney general now involved, James's office will determine how the case moves forward.

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