New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into the alleged October 2024 gang rape of a student by seven Chi Phi fraternity members at Cornell University. Hochul stripped Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten of the case, citing a total loss of faith in local authorities after newly released police transcripts revealed the victim explicitly stated she was raped, a detail Van Houten claims he was never shown in 2024.
Governor Hochul appoints special prosecutor
- ▪Under Governor Kathy Hochul's October 1, 2026 executive order, New York Attorney General Letitia James will direct the investigation and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury and prosecute any resulting offenses
- ▪New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on October 1, 2026, appointing New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate the alleged October 2024 gang rape of Jane Doe at Cornell University
District Attorney defends initial decision
- ▪Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated on September 29, 2026, that he had never before seen the campus police interview transcript from November 2024 showing Jane Doe's explicit statement that she was raped
- ▪Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten defended his initial 2024 decision not to prosecute by stating that the written statement his office received from Cornell police described Jane Doe's participation as voluntary and consensual
- ▪Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten acknowledged that his office did not independently investigate Jane Doe's 2024 allegations and instead relied entirely on the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department
Statements from victim's attorney
- ▪Jane Doe's attorney, Thomas Giuffra, praised the appointment of Letitia James as special prosecutor on October 1, 2026, stating he had no confidence in the local district attorney's ability to prosecute the Cornell University Chi Phi fraternity sexual assault case
- ▪Jane Doe's attorney, Thomas Giuffra, stated that Jane Doe stopped attending Cornell University following the alleged October 2024 Chi Phi fraternity assault and continues to suffer from anxiety, depression, and trauma
Civil lawsuit details gang rape allegations
- ▪A civil lawsuit filed on September 16, 2026, by a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe alleges she was drugged and gang-raped by seven Chi Phi fraternity members on October 19, 2024
- ▪Jane Doe's civil lawsuit alleges that during the alleged 2024 Chi Phi assault, a fraternity member posted to a Snapchat group that there was "free p***y" upstairs, prompting another member to respond that they could walk in and join
Debatable claims
- ▪Governor Hochul's removal of the local district attorney from the Cornell rape case is justified
- ▪Local prosecutors should independently investigate campus sexual assault allegations rather than relying on campus police
- ▪The Tompkins County District Attorney bears primary responsibility for the failure to prosecute the Cornell rape allegations
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