The case, which has drawn national outrage, centres on allegations that a former student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, was drugged and raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024. A civil lawsuit filed on 16 September 2026 brought the allegations back into the spotlight, revealing that messages had been shared in a Snapchat group chat detailing the assault.
Hochul said newly released information raised serious questions about the initial investigation by the Cornell University Police Department and the decision not to prosecute. “New information has raised serious questions about how this case was handled, and I’ve lost faith in the Tompkins County DA’s ability to fairly oversee it,” she said.
Van Houten has defended his office’s earlier decision, arguing they were not given enough evidence to meet the legal threshold. He reopened the case after the civil lawsuit, saying much of the information released in recent weeks had not been passed to his office. James, the state’s attorney general, said on social media she stood ready “to lead a process guided by the facts and the law”. Hochul and James are scheduled to provide an update on Friday.
The case has roiled Cornell’s campus. At a student assembly organised by the student government, dozens of students and community members voiced frustration. Undergraduates called the lack of justice a “disgrace” and demanded transparency. “We deserve to know that our institution values our safety more than its reputation,” student Sophia Riley Sim told the gathering, saying she had been too upset to attend classes for the past week.
Cornell has said its own investigation resulted in sanctions including suspensions and expulsions, and the Chi Phi chapter remains closed. Some of the accused men have denied the allegations, while others have not commented. The alleged victim’s attorney has reportedly said Jane Doe clearly stated in her police statement that she was sexually assaulted, contradicting claims made by the prosecutor.
Experts have noted that the case highlights how institutional environments — fraternity culture, peer norms, and university systems — can enable sexual violence. The messages were exchanged between peers within a fraternity, and not one of the 50 people in the group chat reported it to police.