Students have staged protests and a dining hall sit-in, demanding changes to the university’s handling of sexual misconduct complaints
Jane Doe reported the incident to Cornell police in November 2024, but no criminal charges followed.
Her lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, said she was “misled” about the status of the investigation, believing it was continuing when the inquiry had effectively ended. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said he had concluded, after reviewing a summary of her account, that no crime had been committed. The university will also work with New York State Police to allow independent, trauma-informed criminal investigators to investigate sexual assault allegations on campus, a role currently handled by Cornell University Police. It will also appoint a case manager to help students reporting sexual misconduct navigate the university’s procedures. He has since reopened the investigation. Students have staged protests and a dining hall sit-in, demanding changes to the university’s handling of sexual misconduct complaints. Cornell’s trustees have also appointed former US deputy attorney general Sally Yates to review its investigative and disciplinary procedures, including the campus police response.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, alleges that members of the Chi Phi fraternity plied her with alcohol and drugs before several men sexually assaulted her at a party in October 2024.
Lawyers for two of the men have denied that their clients participated in a sexual assault, while some men questioned during the university’s disciplinary proceedings said the sexual activity was consensual or that they were not involved. The announcement comes amid protests by students over the university’s response to the alleged assault and fresh scrutiny of how the criminal investigation was handled. She filed a lawsuit last month against seven fraternity members, Cornell and others.