SU Groups Condemn 2024 Assault Case as Cornell Faces Lawsuit by 1 Former Student

Q: What hidden evidence in a 2024 Snapchat group chat finally forced prosecutors to reopen a closed campus assault case?

The key new evidence was a screenshot and later video of a 2024 Snapchat group chat called **“Chi Phi Actives”** that appeared to show fraternity members discussing Jane Doe in real time and inviting others to the room during the alleged assault. According to the civil lawsuit and subsequent reporting, one message sent around **1:42 a.m. on Oct. 20, 2024** said there was **“free pussy” upstairs**, which Doe’s lawyers argue was effectively an invitation for other members to join the assault. Additional reported chat messages included responses such as **“Shop still open?”** and **“Yea,”** suggesting active awareness and possible participation by others. That material mattered because prosecutors said they were reexamining whether there was **evidence they either had not reviewed or had not fully considered in 2024**. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said the original no-charge decision was based largely on Doe’s sworn statement at the time, which he said described the encounter differently. But the lawsuit, paired with the Snapchat evidence and other communications cited by Doe’s attorneys, raised the possibility of a broader, coordinated assault and prompted the case to be reopened for grand jury review. Cornell has said it **provided a Snapchat screenshot to prosecutors in November 2024**, while the district attorney has indicated his office is now reassessing the case in light of the lawsuit and additional evidence.

3 articles · Updated · The Daily Orange · Oct 1

Syracuse University’s Student Government Association and multiple Greek organizations issued statements this week condemning sexual assault and backing survivors as a Cornell case drew national attention.
Sept. 14 marked the lawsuit filing by a former Cornell student who says seven Chi Phi Xi members gang raped her in October 2024 after coercing her into taking drugs at the fraternity house.
The suit names the Chi Phi chapter, the seven accused members, Cornell’s Delta Delta Delta chapter and Moonies Bar and Nightclub, while Tompkins County prosecutors have reopened the case.
Cornell updated its FAQ on Wednesday, saying it investigated the allegation when it happened but that its sexual-assault procedures are separate from criminal proceedings.
The widening response has spread beyond Cornell, with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul calling for an independent review and SU chapters framing the case as a broader test of university accountability.