Overview
- A 20-year-old Cornell student alleges she was gang-raped by seven Chi Phi members after drinking and taking ketamine in October 2024, and she filed a civil suit that renewed attention to the case.
- Tompkins County prosecutors initially declined to press charges in 2024 after relying on campus police materials that they said suggested consensual sex, but the criminal investigation has now been reopened.
- Governor Kathy Hochul designated New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to lead the review, which gives the inquiry state-level staff and resources.
- Cornell has closed the Chi Phi chapter, announced an independent external review of the university's handling of the matter, and said the students face sanctions up to suspension or expulsion.
- The case has focused scrutiny on reported redactions in the victim's deposition and on a state law critics say blocks prosecutions when victims voluntarily consumed alcohol or drugs, prompting Hochul to pledge legal reform and likely wider campus policy scrutiny.