New York prosecutors have officially reopened the investigation into a 2024 gang rape allegation involving seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell University. The decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney’s office follows a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month by the accuser, who claims the university failed to protect her from the assault.
Grand Jury to Review New Evidence
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced that his office intends to present the case to a grand jury. The goal is to determine if new evidence exists that could support criminal charges, which were not filed during the initial investigation in 2024.
Van Houten noted that the allegations presented in the recent civil complaint are “dramatically different” from the statements provided to police during the original inquiry. “We want to reexamine whether there’s additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment of the case,” Van Houten stated.
Dispute Over Initial Investigation and Evidence
The accuser, identified in legal filings as Jane Doe, alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven current or former members of the Chi Phi fraternity at their Ithaca house in October 2024. A central point of contention in the reopened case is the existence of digital evidence.
The civil lawsuit includes screenshots of a Snapchat group chat, in which Jane Doe claims fraternity members discussed the alleged assault and invited others to participate. While the accuser’s attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, asserts that this group chat was provided to authorities in 2024, Van Houten stated that a screenshot of the chat was never provided to his office during the initial probe.
Giuffra also criticized the handling of the original investigation, suggesting that the Cornell University Police lacked the specialized training required to interview survivors of sexual abuse. “Ms. Doe was never contacted by anybody with those skills,” Giuffra said, noting that the lack of follow-up hindered the initial criminal assessment.
Cornell University Response and Disciplinary Actions
Cornell University has stated that it takes all allegations of sexual violence extremely seriously. The university confirmed that it conducted a separate, months-long Title IX investigation, which resulted in various sanctions, including expulsions and suspensions for those involved. The Chi Phi chapter remains barred from the Cornell campus.
The university has pushed back against claims that the consequences for the students involved were minimal, calling the narrative that the school failed to act “irresponsible.”
Defense Denials
The individuals named in the lawsuit have denied the allegations. Attorney Jeremy Saland, representing defendant Scott Kretzschmar, stated that the incident “did not happen” and that his client never touched the plaintiff. Another defendant, Scott Norris, denied participating in any sexual activity or drug use, though he acknowledged sending a message that was included in the legal complaint.
