Cornell Student Says Police Ignored 2024 Gang-Rape Leads as Case Triggers Outside Review
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Oct 5
Cornell Student Says Police Ignored 2024 Gang-Rape Leads as Case Triggers Outside Review
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Oct 5
Summary
A Cornell student told NBC News she gave campus police leads in the 2024 alleged Chi Phi gang rape case but now feels "betrayed" because she believed the matter was never properly pursued.
Screenshots of a Chi Phi Snapchat message about "free p----" pushed her to speak with police, and she said she shared information about fraternity messages, possible witnesses and alleged ketamine storage.
Police records reviewed by NBC showed Cornell officers interviewed multiple witnesses and received anonymous tips, but that information was not referred to the local prosecutor when he weighed criminal charges.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten had declined charges for lack of criminality, but he has since reopened the inquiry and New York Governor Kathy Hochul named Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.
Doe's lawsuit against Cornell, Chi Phi and seven fraternity brothers has fueled campus anger, while Cornell's president backed an outside law-firm review and the fraternity chapter remains barred after expulsions and suspensions.