New York Governor Kathy Hochul. (REUTERS Photo)
The case involves a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe, who has alleged that she was drugged with ketamine and sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at the university’s Ithaca campus in October 2024. She reported the incident to campus police several weeks later.
Hochul said newly released information had raised “serious questions” about the Cornell Police Department’s investigation and the district attorney’s earlier decision not to prosecute. A transcript obtained by CBS News showed Doe telling investigators that she could say with “100 per cent confidence” that she had been raped. The governor also criticised the handling of Doe’s interview with police.
The investigation was initially closed without criminal charges in 2024. Hochul signed an executive order appointing James to take over the investigation after saying she had lost faith in Van Houten’s ability to fairly handle the case. The move came after newly released information raised questions about how Cornell police and the district attorney’s office handled the allegations, according to the Associated Press.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has removed Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten from overseeing the investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University and handed the case to state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. Van Houten reopened it on Monday after Doe filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell, seven fraternity members and other defendants.