A student walks by a sign at the entrance of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. (File Photo)
Thomas Giuffra, who represents the woman identified as “Jane Doe”, told CNN that she had received multiple threats aimed at forcing her to drop the lawsuit, which alleges that several members of the Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2024. A woman who has alleged that she was drugged and raped by several Cornell University fraternity members has been threatened with harm if she does not withdraw her civil lawsuit, her lawyer said on Sunday.
New York AG takes over Cornell rape investigation
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten had initially declined to pursue charges in 2024. The handling of the allegations has come under fresh scrutiny after reports revealed discrepancies between the woman’s detailed account to campus police and the shorter sworn statement that was provided to prosecutors.
In one interview with police, she reportedly told investigators that she was certain she had been raped, but that assertion was not included in the statement sent to prosecutors. After the civil lawsuit triggered renewed attention, he reopened the criminal investigation and said his office would present evidence to a grand jury for possible indictment. The allegations have triggered renewed scrutiny of Cornell’s handling of the case, as well as the actions of local prosecutors who initially did not pursue criminal charges. The woman filed the civil lawsuit in September against seven fraternity members, Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity and other defendants.