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Cornell Rape Investigation Reopened Amid Lawsuit and New Evidence
A woman says she was sexually assaulted at a Cornell fraternity house in October 2024.
She says several men entered a room and assaulted her after she drank alcohol and used drugs.
She told police weeks later that she believed she had been raped.
Prosecutors initially decided not to bring charges.
The district attorney says her first account was different from the claims in her later lawsuit.
New information in that lawsuit led prosecutors to reopen the investigation.
Messages allegedly exchanged by fraternity members that night are also being examined.
Cornell suspended the fraternity and agreed to have outside lawyers review the university’s response.
New York prosecutors reopened an investigation into alleged sexual assaults at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe, alleges she was drugged, incapacitated and assaulted by seven men.
A police interview transcript reportedly says she told investigators she could say with 100% confidence that she was raped.
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said her original account differed significantly from allegations in the later civil lawsuit.
Cornell suspended Chi Phi, disciplined or expelled some students, and agreed to an independent review of its handling of the allegations.
- Who
- A woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe, seven accused students, Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity, and Tompkins County prosecutors.
- What
- An investigation was reopened into allegations that the woman was drugged, incapacitated and sexually assaulted by multiple men.
- Where
- The alleged assaults occurred at Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity house.
- When
- The alleged assault began on October 19, 2024; the woman reported it weeks later, and prosecutors reopened the investigation after her civil lawsuit was filed on September 16.
- Why
- Prosecutors said new allegations in the civil lawsuit differed substantially from the woman’s initial police account.
Accuser’s Allegations
Prosecutor’s Account
What happened at the fraternity house
Accuser’s Allegations
The woman alleges she was pressured to use drugs and alcohol, became incapacitated, and was assaulted by seven men.
Prosecutor’s Account
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said her November 2024 statement described drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious and consensual.
Meaning of the police interview
Accuser’s Allegations
According to a transcript reported by CBS New York, the woman told police she was coerced, completely incapacitated and could say with 100% confidence that she was raped.
Prosecutor’s Account
Van Houten said the original account did not allege that she was drugged against her will, incapacitated beyond the ability to consent or gang raped.
Evidence in the civil case
Accuser’s Allegations
The lawsuit and reported Snapchat messages are presented as evidence that multiple fraternity members knew a woman was upstairs and continued the alleged encounters.
Prosecutor’s Account
The woman’s attorney confirmed a later text exchange but said he could not be certain that screenshots reviewed by CBS News were authentic.
Key facts
- Alleged incident
- The alleged assault began on October 19, 2024, at the Chi Phi fraternity house.
- Reported police interviews
- The woman initially contacted Cornell campus police about three weeks later and was interviewed on November 14 and 15, 2024.
- Accused students
- The civil lawsuit names seven men: Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar.
- Alleged messages
- Messages reportedly included the phrases “free p***y upstairs” and “Shop still open?”
- Initial prosecutorial decision
- Tompkins County prosecutors previously decided not to prosecute anyone.
- Cornell response
- Cornell suspended Chi Phi and said some students were disciplined or expelled.
- Independent review
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that Cornell would bring in outside lawyers to review its handling of the allegations.
Quotes
Chi Phi group member
An unidentified member of the Chi Phi Actives Snapchat group, according to the reported screenshots.
“Jane Doe’s sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped.”
livemint.com
“I can say with 100% confidence I was raped”
livemint.com
Sources
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