New York AG to Investigate Cornell Fraternity Rape Allegation
Governor Hochul appoints state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor following concerns over initial investigation.
New York Attorney General Letitia James will investigate allegations of rape at a Cornell University fraternity after Governor Kathy Hochul appointed her as a special prosecutor. The decision comes amid concerns over the initial handling of the case by local authorities.
In a statement Thursday, Hochul said newly released information raised serious questions about the investigation conducted by Cornell Police and the Tompkins County District Attorney's decision not to prosecute.
The allegation, made by a student identified as Jane Doe, involves an incident at the Chi Phi fraternity house. Texts reviewed by ABC News suggest one fraternity brother apologized to Doe days after the alleged assault, writing, “I just wanted to apologize for how things went down the other night.” Doe initially responded, "At the end of the day non [sic] of the sexual stuff was illegal and honestly I really liked being with u." However, nearly two weeks later, her view shifted, and she wrote, “Let’s be clear that 90% of what happened that night was not consensual. All i remember after that was you giving me ket[amine].” She stated that the experience made her feel "like a sex doll/worker."
Doe reported the incident to campus police approximately two weeks after the alleged assault. Her initial report stated, “A female undergraduate student reported that she was recently raped by 8-10 men at the Chi Phi fraternity house.”
An investigative report compiled by Cornell, reviewed by ABC News, included details about the fraternity house bedroom where the alleged assault occurred. Videos from the probe show the room strewn with garbage, leftover food, and discarded furniture after Cornell University suspended the Chi Phi chapter. The floor was littered with a composite photo of a sorority class, a fentanyl test, beer cans, and liquor bottles.
An extended version of a Snapchat group chat, shared among more than 50 fraternity brothers during the alleged assault, was also obtained by ABC News. In the chat, the fraternity brother who invited Doe to the house reportedly sent a photo that appears to show her in the bedroom. Another member asked, “Are you guys at least naked??” The sender replied, “Boys come whip it out.”