Prosecutors Reopen Cornell University Gang Rape Allegations Case

Prosecutors in central New York have reopened the investigation into an alleged gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity in 2024, following the filing of a civil lawsuit that has drawn renewed attention to the incident. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated that his office is considering criminal charges and intends to present the case to a grand jury, contingent on the cooperation of the accuser, identified as Jane Doe.

Van Houten indicated that the allegations in the civil complaint differ significantly from the victim’s initial statement to police two years prior. At that time, the woman’s statement did not allege she was drugged or that she did not consent to sexual activities, nor did she claim to be physically helpless or incapacitated. "She admits to taking drugs and alcohol voluntarily and with knowledge," Van Houten said. "She does not allege that she was forced to engage in any acts."

The reopening of the case comes less than two weeks after a former Cornell student filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was drugged, assaulted, and gang-raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. Following the alleged incident, Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter was barred from campus, although no individuals involved faced criminal charges at the time.

Jane Doe's attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, disputed Van Houten’s characterization of his client’s initial statement and criticized the authorities for not following up with her. Giuffra stated that an average police officer lacks the specialized training necessary to interview an abuse survivor, and that Ms. Doe was never contacted by anyone with such skills.

Van Houten acknowledged that his office relied on the Cornell University Police Department's investigation and did not conduct its own independent inquiry, a practice he said is common in many upstate New York counties. He also noted that a group chat, included in the civil complaint and allegedly containing fraternity members discussing the incident, was never provided to his office. Giuffra countered that these messages, which he called a critical piece of evidence supporting the claim that a crime occurred, were given to authorities in 2024.

Cornell University issued a statement on September 21, asserting that it takes allegations of sexual violence seriously. The university stated that its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated the allegations in accordance with university policies. Due to federal privacy laws, Cornell cannot disclose specific details about individual students or disciplinary actions, but confirmed that violations of university policies can result in sanctions up to and including expulsion. The university also confirmed that the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remains banned from campus.

An attorney for one of the named defendants, Scott Kretzschmar, denied the allegations, stating, “At bottom, Scott never sexually assaulted or even touched the plaintiff in any way. Period.” Another defendant, Scott Norris, denied participating in sexual activity or drug use, though he admitted to sending a message that was included in the complaint. Norris stated, “I thoughtlessly engaged in Snapchat and briefly stopped in the room where misconduct happened but not when it happened.”