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Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that she had named Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor for the investigation into allegations of a gang rape at Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Hochul stated that newly released information had raised serious questions about the Cornell University Police Department’s probe and the Tompkins County district attorney’s initial decision not to prosecute the 2024 case. The governor added that this had undercut both her faith and the public’s faith in the district attorney’s ability to handle the matter effectively. According to the executive order Hochul issued the attorney general will investigate the incident fully and if warranted will present evidence to a grand jury.
The accuser identified in court papers as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit last month claiming she was drugged and assaulted by seven fraternity members on the night of October 19 2024. The woman reported the encounter to campus police several weeks later but faced what her suit described as a flawed initial investigation that omitted key details from her account. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten originally declined to bring charges in November 2024 without interviewing the victim according to the governor’s order. Van Houten reopened the case this week amid mounting public pressure but the governor moved swiftly to install an independent prosecutor.
Hochul said in a statement that the young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued. The governor’s order grants James full prosecutorial authority under state law to examine the conduct of all parties involved in the original handling of the allegations. A review already begun by the attorney general’s office will now proceed with the added powers of a special prosecutor. The Chi Phi chapter at Cornell was suspended from campus activities following the reported incident.
RAINN data shows that 13 percent of undergraduate students experience rape or sexual assault during their time in college with the rate rising to 26 percent among undergraduate women. The organization’s figures place college-age women at elevated risk with one in six freshman women experiencing sexual assault in their first year. A Cornell University survey conducted in 2025 found that 35 percent of the school’s undergraduate women reported nonconsensual sexual contact involving force or incapacitation since enrolling. Among Greek-affiliated undergraduate women at Cornell that figure climbed to 52 percent according to the university’s report.
Cornell University described the original allegations as deeply concerning in statements issued after the civil lawsuit became public. The institution has maintained that it cooperated with law enforcement during the initial investigation while implementing broader measures to address campus sexual violence. Attorney General Letitia James responded to her appointment by saying her office stands ready to lead a process New Yorkers can trust guided by the facts and the law. James added that every New Yorker deserves to know that when they report a crime it will be investigated fully and fairly.
The case has drawn national attention as it highlights persistent challenges in prosecuting campus sexual assaults where victim reports often encounter skepticism or procedural gaps. Multiple news organizations including The New York Times and The Guardian have detailed discrepancies between the survivor’s account and the information relied upon by local prosecutors. Public criticism intensified after the lawsuit revealed that the district attorney had not spoken directly with the accuser before declining charges. The appointment of James transfers the matter to state-level oversight to restore confidence in the outcome.
