DA reopens case after woman says she was sexually assaulted for hours by seven Cornell frat bros

· Toronto Sun

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Prosecutors in central New York are set to reopen an investigation into the horrific allegations that seven Cornell University fraternity brothers drugged and gang-raped a former student for several hours.

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The move comes after the nightmare was described in a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month by the woman, which has sparked public outrage.

Allegations from the sickening night

The sickening allegations are detailed in a Sept. 14 lawsuit by the survivor, identified as Jane Doe.

She says she visited a friend at the frat house while she was intoxicated, and alleges two frat brothers pressured her into snorting what they said was ketamine before they sexually assaulted her.

Newell allegedly invited other fraternity members to join in on the abuse, sending a Snapchat message suggesting a woman was available for sex, according to a screenshot included in the lawsuit.

Doe says in her complaint that more men showed up and she was raped for hours.

The woman filed a report with the university’s police department about three weeks later, prompting an internal investigation consisting of at least 12 hearings.

In the end, no one was arrested, according to Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra.

Only two of the seven frat members accused were expelled, while the others received lesser so-called punishments, including suspensions, attending workshops or writing essays.

“Not one of these guys was arrested. Not one. That I can tell you for a fact,” Giuffra told WCBS . “There were so many people that could have prevented it and they didn’t,” he added. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Doe dropped out of school after the alleged assault.

Reopening the case

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said in a statement to ABC News that his office is considering whether to bring criminal charges related to the incident, noting that the allegations in the civil complaint are “dramatically different” than the woman’s statement to police two years ago.

Van Houten said his office did not bring charges in 2024 because the woman’s statement to authorities did not allege she was drugged or that she did not consent to engage in sexual activities, however, Doe’s lawyer disputed the DA’s description of Doe’s initial statement to the Cornell Police and faulted authorities for never following up with his client.

Van Houten acknowledged that he relied on the investigation conducted by Cornell cops Police and said his office didn’t “independently investigate” the allegations, but maintained that it is a policy that was in line with many upstate New York counties.

Cornell blasted by the public

The case has sparked widespread condemnation by many.

Actress Florence Pugh shared a lengthy Instagram post , writing that she felt “uneasy and sick and anxious” after learning about the gang rape.

“Colleges/schools/universities repeatedly fail women around the world. You build men that get taught through time and time again that they can do extreme harm and that they won’t be harmed in return,” Pugh wrote, in part, over the weekend in two separate posts after she her first post was initially blocked.

“This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us,” she added. “There is no equality until we can say we feel safe. We are the life force of this earth, start f***ing protecting us. Be angry for us. Please.”

“I have been asked by the community to revisit the decision whether to pursue criminal charges against the seven fraternity members. I have already begun that process, starting with our conversation with Jane Doe and her attorneys. Once we determine the appropriate charges, the case will be prosecuted in the most objective and impartial means available – by testimony to the Tompkins County Grand Jury,” Van Houten said in a written statement to WCBS .

“The Grand Jury will be able to consider the testimony of Jane Doe as well as any new evidence raised by the allegations of the civil complaint,” he continued. “Upon a vote by the Grand Jury to indict any or all of the individuals involved, this office will prosecute the charges zealously and to the fullest extent of the law.”

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Cornell speaks out

Cornell said in a Sept. 21 statement that it takes allegations of sexual violence “extremely seriously” and that its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards “investigated and adjudicated the allegations consistent with university policies.”

The university said federal privacy law prevents it from publicly disclosing specific information about individual students or disciplinary responses. Cornell said violations of university policies could result in sanctions up to and including suspension or expulsion.

Cornell also said the Xi chapter of Chi Phi “remains barred from our campus.”

Doe’s lawsuit accuses Cornell and the other defendants of breach of contract, negligence and violations of state law. Doe is seeking unspecified monetary damages, including compensatory and punitive damages.

“She’s not in college anymore because of this,” Giuffra said, per WCBS . “She’s barely hanging on for what these guys did to her.”

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