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CBS has published excerpts in which the woman distinguishes an initial encounter from later events she alleges were rape. Cornell has also described restrictions imposed during its 2024 investigation.
What has changed? · 30/09/2026, 10:49 UTC
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Tompkins County prosecutors have reopened an investigation into allegations that seven fraternity members sexually assaulted a Cornell University student in October 2024. District attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office intends to present the case to a grand jury with the woman’s cooperation and reassess whether there is evidence to support criminal charges. [3] [5]
The woman, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, alleges that members of Chi Phi assaulted her at its fraternity house on the night of 19–20 October 2024, after alcohol and drugs left her unable to consent. Her lawsuit, filed on 16 September, also accuses Cornell of failing to protect students and properly address sexual violence. The complaint says she reported the incident to Cornell police in November 2024. [1] [7]
Van Houten defended his office’s decision not to prosecute in 2024. He said Doe’s original police statement differed substantially from her lawsuit and described voluntary drug use and consensual sexual activity. He also said he considered her credible. Excerpts from the statement that he released referred to gaps in her memory, increasing intoxication and activities to which she had not consented. Doe’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, disputes that the two accounts were materially different and has criticised the earlier investigation. [3] [6]
Van Houten told ABC News that prosecutors had relied on Cornell police’s investigation rather than conducting their own. Giuffra said Snapchat group-chat messages were given to authorities in 2024; Van Houten said he was uncertain how the material had reached his office or whether anyone there had reviewed it. [3] [4]
Cornell said its separate disciplinary process resulted in expulsions and suspensions, and that no one was offered an essay as the sole consequence. The complaint describes temporary suspensions and an opportunity for students to submit essays to mitigate their conduct. Cornell has not disclosed how many students received each sanction.
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Jeremy Saland, a lawyer for defendant Scott Kretzschmar, said his client had never sexually assaulted or touched Doe. Another defendant, Scott Norris, denied taking part in sexual activity or drug use, while acknowledging that he had sent a message in the group chat. [3]
CBS News New York has published excerpts it says come from the woman’s November 2024 interviews with Cornell campus police. She distinguishes an initial sexual encounter from later events in the case that the local prosecutor has now reopened. [11] [8]
The woman, who is suing seven men and Cornell University over an alleged sexual assault, said she was “pretty OK” with the initial encounter, while also saying she was “super drunk” and had been hit “very, very hard”. Describing what happened later that night, she said: “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped.” [11] [1]
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said his office’s 2024 decision not to bring charges was based on a signed, six-page police statement that he characterised as describing voluntary and consensual sexual conduct. His published account also says the woman resisted particular advances. CBS reported that the written statement was prepared during the interviews and reviewed by the woman. [8] [11]
Cornell has said temporary suspensions and other restrictions were used during its investigation. The woman’s civil complaint dates some temporary suspensions to November 2024; the university’s recent account describes measures taken then, rather than new suspensions this week. [10] [3] [1]