New York prosecutors reopen Cornell gang rape investigation

New York prosecutors have reopened a criminal investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University. The move follows a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month by a former student known as Jane Doe. She says she was drugged and raped by multiple people at a Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024, when she was a student.

According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe was visibly intoxicated after a night out when she went into the fraternity house to see a friend. Two fraternity members allegedly pressured her into snorting ketamine, gave her other drugs and alcohol, and sexually assaulted her. At 1:42 a.m., one of the men is said to have sent a vulgar message to a Chi Phi Snapchat group offering that she was available for sex. More men then took part in the alleged rape, which continued until around 5:45 a.m.

The lawsuit names Cornell University, seven Chi Phi fraternity brothers, and others. The Chi Phi chapter has been banned from campus. Cornell now faces renewed scrutiny over its handling of the case and what critics call a lack of disciplinary action. The accuser's attorney says only two of the seven alleged attackers were expelled, while others had their punishment reduced by writing essays.

The only earlier investigation was conducted by Cornell police. Prosecutors decided that criminal charges were not appropriate based on Jane Doe's original statement, which they say differs from the lawsuit. Both that decision and Cornell's disciplinary response have been criticised. No arrests were made.

Cornell released a statement on Monday saying it supports the prosecutor's decision to reopen the case. The university disputed the claim that those involved were not strongly punished.

Tracey Vitchers, executive director of the nonprofit It's On Us, said the allegations were horrific and that her heart broke for the survivor. She described the Cornell case as a symptom of a wider systemic and cultural problem. She said one in five women are sexually assaulted during their time on campus, and that incident rates have remained largely unchanged despite decades of calls for reform. Reforms in the early 2010s and after the Me Too movement have been followed by strategic, systemic, and cultural rollbacks, she added.

Vitchers also said more than half of college men do not learn about consent and sexual communication in a formal educational setting before college. Many prevention programmes used by universities are online 'check the box' risk management courses with little evidence that they reduce perpetration, she said. Cornell uses an in-house online programme that focuses largely on legal definitions, according to the university website. It's On Us has run a culturally responsive programme for male college athletes called the Playbook with support from the NFL. It has been used at more than a dozen institutions over two years.