Rape suit by seven students forces prosecutor to reopen case

The Tompkins County U.S. Attorney's Office will re-examine a former Cornell University student's claim of sexual assault at the Chi Phi student fraternity home. The woman claims that in October 2024 she was raped by seven members of the association.

No criminal charges were brought against anyone. Now District Attorney Matthew Van Houten intends to refer the case to a grand jury that will decide whether there are grounds for bringing charges.

The reason was a civil suit filed on September 16. According to the applicant, the participants of Chi Phi gave her alcohol and drugs, after which she was unable to consent to sexual acts.

She was 20 years old at the time of the alleged attack. The lawsuit also describes the correspondence of students in the messenger: the woman believes that the messages are relevant to the investigation.

Van Houten said that the version outlined in the lawsuit is significantly different from the testimony that the woman gave to the university police in November 2024. At the time, she described drug use and sexual activity as voluntary. This explains the previous decision not to press charges. The applicant’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, contests the prosecutor’s assessment and considers that the initial investigation should have been more thorough.

A separate dispute arose because of a fragment of correspondence attached to the claim. The prosecutor said his office had not previously received this material. At the same time, according to him, one screenshot alone does not give an answer to the question of consent. The investigation will now evaluate the reports, along with other materials and new statements of the woman.

Cornell University has backed a retrial of the case. The university said it had conducted its own investigation and applied disciplinary measures, including expulsions and suspension of students. The local Chi Phi branch was banned from operating on campus in 2024.

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