Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced he will present a new case to the grand jury regarding an alleged gang rape at Cornell University. This decision comes after a civil lawsuit filed on September 16 revealed details prosecutors did not see in 2024. According to reports, Van Houten indicated his office seeks to reexamine currently available evidence.
Court filings identify the woman as Jane Doe, who alleges seven fraternity members drugged and assaulted her at the Chi Phi house on October 19, 2024. Van Houten declared his plan to bring the case before the Tompkins County grand jury, with Jane Doe's cooperation. He noted the new allegations are dramatically different from her initial report to police.
According to the Washington Examiner, the original 2024 statement did not claim she was unknowingly drugged or forced into activity while incapacitated. Van Houten said his office relied on the Cornell police investigation back then and did not conduct an independent probe. The fresh lawsuit accuses the men of snorting ketamine from her body and compelling her to repeat the act.
The civil complaint includes screenshots of a Snapchat group chat where one member allegedly invited others to join the assault. Thomas Giuffra, the attorney for Jane Doe, said authorities were given this chat in 2024 but never followed up with specialized training. He told ABC News that an average officer lacks the skills needed to speak with a trauma survivor.
Giuffra described the chat as vital evidence proving a crime took place. Nevertheless, neither the Cornell Police nor the Tompkins County District Attorney followed up with Ms. Doe. The seven men named in the suit were suspended but allowed to keep their education after a Title IX review.
A former South Park writer, Toby Morton, launched a website called TheCornell7.org to expose the accused men and university staff. He warned in an Instagram post that accountability is coming for those who gave the students a break. Morton said he is now finding out where the men work and plans to track them down.
Cornell University has denied claims that students were offered essays to mitigate their conduct after the accusations. Reporting by The New York Post noted the complaint says the men could mitigate their conduct by submitting essays. The university has not commented on whether those essays were actually submitted or reviewed.
Van Houten stressed that the conduct described in the numerous allegations is abhorrent and unacceptable within our community. He said the grand jury will decide if criminal conduct occurred based on the new facts presented. Prosecutors continue to collect additional evidence they lacked knowledge of in November of 2024, keeping the case open.
No criminal charges have been filed against the seven men named in the lawsuit as of now.