Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has officially reopened a criminal investigation into allegations that seven Cornell University students drugged and gang-raped a classmate at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. The decision, announced September 28, 2026, reverses the office’s initial 2024 determination not to pursue charges.
Criminal Probe Reopens After Two-Year Delay
Van Houten confirmed he intends to present evidence to a grand jury. He defended his office’s previous silence, citing the accuser’s original November 2024 sworn statement. “On the contrary, Jane Doe’s statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual,” Van Houten said in a nine-page statement. He noted that his office could not have based a 2024 decision on allegations that were not filed in a civil complaint until nearly two years later.
New Details Emerge in Civil Litigation
The criminal shift follows a civil lawsuit filed on September 16, 2026, by the accuser, known as Jane Doe. The filing alleges she was pressured into consuming alcohol, marijuana, and ketamine at the Chi Phi house before being sexually assaulted by seven students over a four-hour period.
The complaint presents a screenshot of a Snapchat group message titled “Chi Phi Activities.” In the message, a member allegedly referred to the incapacitated woman as “free pussy” while she was in an upstairs room. The plaintiff is seeking undisclosed damages from the seven men, the Chi Phi fraternity, Cornell University, and an Ithaca bar.
University Defends Disciplinary Actions
Cornell University officials have publicly supported the reopening of the criminal probe. Kyle Kimball, vice president for university relations, addressed criticism regarding the school’s internal handling of the incident in a statement released Monday.
According to the university, an internal Title IX investigation resulted in sanctions including expulsions and suspensions for the accused students. The Chi Phi fraternity chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus. Addressing claims that the students faced minimal consequences, such as being required to write essays, Kimball stated that “none of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement.”
Political Pressure and Public Backlash
The case has ignited a firestorm of public and political debate. U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently visited the campus to criticize how elite institutions handle sexual assault allegations. The discourse remains fractured; while some demand greater accountability from the university and the District Attorney’s office, others express skepticism regarding the lawsuit’s claims.
The District Attorney’s office reported a surge in emails and calls since the lawsuit’s filing, ranging from requests for information to threats against staff. Van Houten emphasized that his office intends to prosecute the case “zealously and to the fullest extent of the law” should a grand jury return an indictment.
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