Hochul Orders Outside Cornell Probe After 2024 Fraternity Assault Allegations
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Sep 30
Hochul Orders Outside Cornell Probe After 2024 Fraternity Assault Allegations
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Sep 30
Summary
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday called for an outside investigation into Cornell’s campus culture and its handling of a student’s allegations tied to an October 2024 encounter at the Chi Phi fraternity house.
A six-page statement the student gave campus police in November 2024 said the night “felt like coercion,” described repeated refusals, extreme intoxication she rated 8 out of 10, and men pouring substances on her body.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said that 2024 account led him not to file charges, arguing it suggested consent was not withdrawn, though he has now reopened the case after a civil suit alleged a gang rape by seven fraternity members.
Cornell said its Title IX investigation already produced sanctions including expulsions and suspensions, while the Chi Phi chapter was barred from campus after the alleged Oct. 19, 2024 incident.
The lawsuit has intensified scrutiny of how universities and prosecutors assess consent, intoxication and coercion when allegations later diverge from initial police statements.