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In response to a lawsuit filed by a survivor, the Tompkins County District Attorney has reopened a criminal inquiry into a 2024 assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house on Cornell's campus. The case now faces renewed scrutiny from the university, federal prosecutors, and the academic community as allegations of drug-facilitated sexual assault and institutional failure emerge.
In a development that has drawn national attention to issues of campus sexual violence, the Tompkins County District Attorney's office announced it is reopening a criminal investigation into alleged gang rape that took place at the Chi Phi fraternity house on Cornell University's Ithaca campus.
The decision follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted in October 2024 by seven members of the fraternity. The accuser, who is identified only by a pseudonym in the complaint, alleges that she was drugged with ketamine, laced with marijuana, and forced to consume alcohol before becoming incapacitated.
She says the seven men took advantage of her stupor and carried out a series of heinous sexual attacks, an act that she alleges constitutes a gang rape. The lawsuit also accuses the university and the chapter of failing to protect students from foreseeable sexual harm and calls for significant damages, though the exact amount remains undisclosed.
In addition to suing the men personally, the accuser has named the Chi Phi fraternity, Cornell University, and an Ithaca bar in her complaint. None of the defendants have publicly responded to the allegations. The decision to reopen the probe came after the District Attorney's office had previously chosen not to file criminal charges.
The choice to reexamine the case was reportedly made after the prosecution's lawyer learned of new evidence, as well as after the district attorney's office engaged in public dialogue with the accuser's attorneys about the merits of a prosecution.
Prosecutor Seeks Grand Jury Review
"Seeking justice sometimes requires us to reconsider or reopen cases when we are provided with additional evidence," Attorney Matthew van Houten told reporters Monday. "The community has asked us to revisit the decision whether to pursue criminal charges against the seven fraternity members. " The prosecutor said he is currently preparing to present evidence to a grand jury, the typical process for deciding whether to bring criminal charges. Cornell's response has been supportive of the reopening.
The university confirmed that it has conducted an internal investigation in 2024 and has taken action by expelling several students and suspending others. Because federal privacy laws now constrain the release of personal details, the university declined to disclose the exact number of participants facing sanctions. The school also clarified that the seven men have not been given an opportunity to write essays as a form of punishment, but instead faced direct expulsion and suspension.
"Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false," the university's statement read. The lawsuit further claims that the university failed to prevent the assaults and opens a broader conversation about campus safety and culture. A photo of a group chat between the fraternity members discussing the night appears in the complaint, indicating a level of premeditation or at least a lack of remorse.
University Confirms Student Expulsions
The accuser, a 20‑year‑old Cornell student at the time, filed a complaint with campus police about three weeks after the alleged events. On the day she reported the incident, the college reportedly placed the seven men on temporary suspension, yet it has been unclear whether the suspensions were merely procedural or carried lasting punitive weight. Questions of campus culture have escalated beyond Cornell, drawing national political comment.
On a forum held outside the campus in front of the courthouse, US Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez denounced a "culture of rape" that she says still protects men who commit sexual violence in elite institutions. She urged that the term "culture" is not just about individual actions but the environment that normalizes such behaviour. The university's dedicated Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault, established in 2025, issued recommendations last year that the school has begun implementing.
Senator Condemns Campus Rape Culture
In their most recent report, the authors noted that a 2025 campus survey revealed that 35 percent of undergraduate women and 8 percent of undergraduate men reported experiencing sexual assault during their time at Cornell - a figure that underscores the prevalence of the issue. The reopening of the investigation is expected to bring an influx of public scrutiny as well as a surge in calls for known accountability.
Some social media users have already shared images of the seven men and denounced the university's response. Others remain skeptical of the accuser's account and call for a thorough examination of the evidence. Cornell's institutional response, the District Attorney's decision to lift the case, and potential federal civil liability could all play critical roles in shaping how higher‑education institutions approach sexual‑violence claims in the future.
Cornell University Campus Sexual Assault Fraternity District Attorney Legal Proceedings
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