02-10-2026
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate allegations that a woman was drugged and raped by several men at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024. The investigation had been overseen by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, whose office initially declined to bring charges, saying the evidence it had received did not meet the legal threshold. Hochul said new information raised serious questions about the handling of the case and that she had lost confidence in Van Houten’s ability to oversee it fairly. The appointment removes him from the investigation.
The case returned to public attention after the woman, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell in September. She alleges that seven men assaulted her and that the university failed to protect her or adequately discipline them. The men have been referred to as the “Cornell Seven.” Van Houten said his office had initially seen only a statement from Doe that he understood to imply the encounter was consensual and that she had not been drugged. He later reopened the investigation, saying information disclosed recently had not previously been provided to his office.
Cornell says it shared findings from its own investigation with prosecutors, including a fraternity members’ Snapchat group chat discussing a “free” sexual encounter with Doe on the night of the alleged assault. Doe’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, has accused Van Houten of changing his account repeatedly amid media coverage. James said her office would guide the investigation according to the facts and law. If warranted, she may prosecute offences and present evidence to a grand jury. Hochul and James are scheduled to provide an update on Friday.
Entities: Kathy Hochul, Letitia James, Matthew Van Houten, Thomas Giuffra, Jane Doe • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
02-10-2026
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has appointed the office of Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to oversee an investigation into a woman’s allegation that she was gang raped at a Cornell University fraternity house in October 2024. Hochul said newly released information raised serious questions about Cornell Police’s investigation and the Tompkins County district attorney’s earlier decision not to bring charges, weakening her confidence in his ability to handle the case. The special prosecutor may present evidence to a grand jury if warranted.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, reported the alleged assault to campus police and spoke with the university’s internal investigators. In September, she filed a civil lawsuit against seven fraternity brothers, Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity and others. The lawsuit alleges that one of the men sent a message to more than 50 fraternity members describing what was happening and inviting others to participate. Lawyers for two defendants have denied their clients participated in a sexual assault; one said his client did not touch the woman. The other defendants or their representatives could not be reached by The Associated Press.
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said earlier in the week that he would reopen the investigation after reviewing information in the lawsuit. He had defended the original decision not to charge anyone, saying the woman’s initial account did not allege she had been drugged, was incapacitated beyond the ability to consent, or was forced to have sex. Under public and political pressure, Cornell also agreed to bring in outside lawyers to review its handling of the allegations. The university said it suspended Chi Phi indefinitely and disciplined or expelled some students, but declined to provide details, citing student privacy rules.
Entities: Kathy Hochul, Letitia James, Matthew Van Houten, Jane Doe, Cornell University • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
02-10-2026
New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney-General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate the alleged 2024 gang rape of a Cornell University student. Hochul said newly released information raised questions about the Cornell Police Department’s investigation and Tompkins County prosecutors’ decision not to pursue charges. She said she had lost confidence in the county district attorney’s ability to oversee the case fairly. James said her office would investigate the allegations fully and fairly.
The case has drawn renewed attention after media reports revealed additional information about what authorities and Cornell knew. CBS New York obtained a police interview transcript containing more detail than the sworn statement later provided to prosecutors. The New York Times reviewed more than 1,000 pages of Cornell’s internal investigation materials and reported that the woman took time to understand that she had allegedly been gang-raped.
The woman’s September civil lawsuit names seven fraternity members, the Chi Phi fraternity, Cornell University, a bar and her sorority as defendants. The accused men have denied wrongdoing and told university investigators the sex was consensual. Cornell says it conducted a comprehensive investigation, closed the Chi Phi chapter and disciplined members, including through expulsions and other sanctions. The national fraternity also said it expelled members understood to have been involved.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office had reopened the case and would present evidence, including the woman’s testimony, to a grand jury for possible indictment. He said the initial decision not to pursue charges was partly due to limits in state law. Experts and advocates say New York law can make certain rape charges harder to bring when a complainant chose to consume intoxicants before an alleged assault. The case has prompted calls from some lawmakers to revise sexual-assault statutes.
Entities: Letitia James, Kathy Hochul, Matthew Van Houten, Trey Robb, Cornell University • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
