Crime · updated 6m ago · 2 min read
Tompkins County DA Matthew Van Houten Reopens Cornell Chi Phi Rape Investigation After Lawsuit
Tompkins County DA Van Houten reopened 2024 Cornell Chi Phi gang-rape investigation after lawsuit. Civil suit alleges victim was drugged and raped by seven fraternity members in October 2024.
32 outlets told this the same way.
9 of 11 outlets skipped it: cornell delayed disclosure details citing federal privacy law.
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DA reopens Cornell case
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened an investigation into an alleged rape at Cornell University after a civil lawsuit drew national attention, and he said his office would present the case to a grand jury.
Van Houten confirmed that he had begun the process of pursuing criminal charges against seven alleged perpetrators, and he told ABC News, "We want to reexamine whether there's additional evidence that we were not aware of in November 2024 that exists now and that would change our assessment of the case."
ABC News reported that the case involved Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity and that the civil lawsuit, filed earlier this month, accused seven members and former members of drugging the victim, assaulting her, and raping her.
ABC News also said Cornell's Chi Phi chapter was barred from campus after the alleged Oct. 19, 2024 incident, while the DA said none of the individuals allegedly involved faced criminal charges at the time.
Competing accounts and quotes
Thomas P. Giuffra, the victim's attorney, criticized the initial handling of the report and said, "An average university police officer does not have these skills," adding that no one with such training contacted his client.
Giuffra also argued that a Snapchat group chat was key evidence and said, "The group chat was handed over in which fraternity members were invited to rape my client."
Van Houten disputed that characterization, and he told ABC News that the group chat images "was key evidence and, despite that, there was no follow-up by either the police or the prosecutors."
Cornell University defended its response by saying, "Any suggestion that the university did not impose substantial sanctions on those involved is false," while the university also said it supported presenting the case to a grand jury.
What is at stake next
Van Houten said his office would present the case to the Tompkins County grand jury with Jane Doe's cooperation, and he framed the reopening as a way to determine whether additional evidence could alter the assessment of criminal conduct. Van Houten told ABC News, "Our intention is to present the case to the Tompkins County grand jury with the cooperation of Jane Doe," and he added, "We want to reexamine whether there is additional evidence that we did not know in November 2024."
Cornell University said it conducted a Title IX investigation over several months and that, after a hearing where "the complainant and respondents had the opportunity to testify and present evidence," the panel issued sanctions including expulsions and suspensions. The case also carried consequences beyond the university process, because the civil complaint sought monetary damages and the criminal grand jury process would determine whether charges were warranted.