ITHACA, N.Y. — Prosecutors in New York have reopened a criminal investigation into an alleged 2024 gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house, saying they will present the case against seven alleged perpetrators to a grand jury for a possible indictment.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten confirmed the decision Monday, after a civil lawsuit filed this month by the alleged victim sparked renewed public outrage, Reuters reported.
The lawsuit, filed against seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, Cornell University, and several other defendants, alleges that the woman, then a 20-year-old student, was “plied with alcohol and drugs to the point of intoxication” and left unable to consent before she was sexually assaulted, according to the Associated Press.
The complaint alleges that fraternity members used a Snapchat group chat to encourage others to join in, and included a photo of some of the messages.
Van Houten said prosecutors did not pursue criminal charges two years ago because the woman’s sworn statement to campus police in 2024 “described her drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious and consensual” — “dramatically different” from the allegations in the lawsuit. He acknowledged that his office relied on the Cornell University Police investigation rather than conducting a separate investigation.
The woman’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, said the police report was “not materially different” from the civil lawsuit’s claims and criticized the district attorney’s office for not pursuing a more thorough investigation sooner, according to CNN.
No criminal charges have been filed as of Monday. Cornell said it supports the decision to reopen the investigation; the university said its own Title IX inquiry lasted several months and resulted in sanctions including expulsions and suspensions, and that the Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus.