Overview
- On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order appointing New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor and James announced an active criminal investigation with power to seek grand‑jury charges.
- The move followed reporting of a campus police transcript in which the alleged victim told investigators she was “100% confident” she had been raped, a detail Hochul said was not passed to prosecutors and that prompted renewed scrutiny of the local probe.
- The plaintiff, identified in court filings as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit in mid‑September alleging she was given ketamine and other substances and was sexually assaulted by seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024.
- Cornell’s internal Title IX review produced expulsions, suspensions and the chapter’s suspension, the university has agreed to an independent external review, and Tompkins County DA Matthew Van Houten has reopened his office’s review and pledged cooperation with the attorney general.
- The case highlights a legal wrinkle in New York that treats voluntary intoxication differently from incapacitation caused by drugs or passing out, a distinction Hochul says should be revisited as James’ monthslong probe collects evidence and interviews witnesses.