CNN host Jake Tapper confronted Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten regarding the handling of a 2024 gang rape allegation at a Cornell University fraternity, arguing that prosecutors "dropped the ball" on the initial investigation.
During an appearance on "The Lead," Tapper questioned Van Houten about the case, where a student, identified as Jane Doe in a lawsuit, alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple men at the Chi Pi fraternity house. The accuser stated she was intoxicated and had been given additional alcohol.
Doe's lawsuit named seven men, including one who allegedly posted a message in a group chat referring to the victim. Despite the allegations, none of the accused fraternity members were arrested. Doe subsequently withdrew from Cornell, and only two of the seven men faced expulsion. Other members received suspensions, workshops, or wrote essays.
"It’s absolutely horrific," Tapper told Van Houten. "And it’s just— I would think that a district attorney would want to find out more?"
Van Houten stated that his office relies on police for investigations and does not conduct independent inquiries. He noted that the accuser had spoken with the police and that "if she remembers more now, then we want to put that in front of the grand jury."
The district attorney's office reopened its investigation this week amid significant public outcry directed at the university, authorities, and the individuals involved. Tapper pressed further, asking why additional witnesses with potentially relevant information were not questioned earlier.
"I’m asking why you didn’t tell Cornell police or local police to go talk to them to find out more about what happened, given that this woman went to the police to make a complaint, thinking that she had been assaulted," Tapper stated. "Something had happened to her, she didn’t know what exactly, and it’s your responsibility as district attorney to get to the bottom of it and and find out. That’s why I’m confused."