New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University, saying she had “lost faith” in the local district attorney’s ability to handle the case.
The investigation was initially closed without charges in 2024. Last month, the woman filed a lawsuit and Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the investigation. But Hochul said new information raised serious questions about how the case was handled.
“In what world does the district attorney not even interview her, or anyone else involved, or even request the full transcript?” Hochul said. “This woman, this young woman, had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable. And then at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her.”
The Evidence Question
Van Houten has repeatedly said his office never received more than the Snapchat messages and a six-page investigative report before deciding not to bring charges. But a Cornell police investigator told the New York Times that prosecutors declined the opportunity to review additional statements gathered by campus police.
Investigator Jeffrey Northrop spoke to a member of the DA’s staff, Jeff Huddle, about additional interviews. Prosecutors reportedly had no interest. Northrop took notes of the meeting and claimed prosecutors told him “criminal charges would not be pursued in this case” based on Jane Doe’s statement.
Hochul also assailed the Cornell University Police Department for not fully conveying the woman’s story to prosecutors. “She sat for hours and told them exactly what happened to her,” Hochul said. “Yet, shockingly, those words never made it into the account that the Cornell police sent to prosecutors”.
What Happened That Night
The lawsuit alleges that in October 2024, a then-20-year-old student identified only as Jane Doe was drugged with ketamine and repeatedly assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house over nearly seven hours.
One of the men sent a Snapchat message to a fraternity group chat at 1:42 a.m. using a vulgar term to advertise that a woman’s body was available. Another person in the chat asked if the “shop” was still open.
The woman told investigators she “felt like bait” as the attackers were “like lions around me”. She said her intoxication left her in a state of “vague consciousness” — “lights are on, but nobody’s home. Your brain is not functioning at its proper level”.
In a November 2024 police interview, she said: “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped”.
The Campus Response
Cornell has agreed to an independent investigation into its handling of the case. The university has defended its disciplinary process, saying it conducted an extensive investigation and issued sanctions that included expulsions and suspensions. Two students were dismissed, two were suspended for at least two semesters, and two were found not responsible. No criminal arrests have been made.
Students have expressed anger and shame at the university’s handling of the case. “We’re absolutely ashamed of the events that happened on our campus,” said student assembly president Eeshaan Chaudhuri.
The Bottom Line
New York Attorney General Letitia James has taken over the Cornell gang rape investigation after Governor Hochul lost faith in the local district attorney. New information shows the DA declined to review additional evidence before closing the case. The alleged victim told police she was “100% confident” she was raped. Cornell has agreed to an independent investigation into its handling of the case. No criminal charges have been filed.
My Opinion
A young woman told campus police she was drugged, assaulted for nearly seven hours, and left feeling like “bait” surrounded by lions. She said she was “100% confident” she was raped. And the district attorney never interviewed her.
The DA on his part says he never received the full evidence. The campus police investigator says prosecutors declined to review it. Someone is not telling the truth. And the person who paid the price is the victim, who was failed at every turn by the institutions that were supposed to protect her.
The attorney general’s takeover is a necessary correction. But it should not have taken a governor’s intervention and a lawsuit to get here. The case was closed without charges. The woman had to sue to reopen it. That is not how the system is supposed to work.
Cornell has agreed to an independent investigation. That is welcome, but it is also late. The university’s disciplinary process resulted in expulsions and suspensions, but no criminal charges. For the victim, it is a reminder that institutions protect themselves first.
Letitia James now has the case. The question is whether she can deliver what everyone else failed to provide: accountability. If she cannot, the message is even darker. It says that even with overwhelming evidence and a victim willing to speak, the system will find a way to look away.
