Overview
- A former Cornell student filed a 101-page civil suit on Sept. 16, 2026 alleging she was drugged with ketamine and gang‑raped by seven Chi Phi fraternity members in October 2024.
- Cornell’s 2025 Title IX review led to expulsions, suspensions and a campus ban on the Chi Phi chapter, and the university hired former deputy attorney general Sally Yates on Oct. 6 to review how it handled the matter.
- Tompkins County prosecutors reopened their review after new records surfaced in late September and Governor Kathy Hochul named New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to lead an active criminal investigation.
- Text messages published this week that show the accuser describing a 'clouded' memory have intensified public debate while the plaintiff has faced doxxing, death threats and a reported swatting incident that her lawyer says has harmed her safety and mental health.
- Student and national demonstrations took place Oct. 8 and faculty have pressed the university for accountability, raising broader questions about how digital evidence, Title IX findings and criminal law intersect in campus sexual‑assault cases and what changes colleges should make to protect survivors.