NY prosecutor reopens probe into Cornell gang rape allegations

In the US, a New York prosecutor has reopened an investigation into gang rape allegations at a Cornell University fraternity in response to a lawsuit filed by a woman who says she was sexually assaulted in 2024 by seven students after being plied with alcohol and drugs.

This after New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for an invetigation into the incident.

The woman filed a lawsuit this month saying she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house on Cornell's campus in October 2024.

Her suit says the assault occurred after she was pressured into snorting ketamine, smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol, to the point where she was incapable of consenting to sex.

The school said it conducted its own investigation in 2024 where a panel of trained faculty and staff heard evidence over multiple days, and both the woman and the people accused had the opportunity to testify and present evidence.

The school went on to issued sanctions, including expelling some students and suspending others.

It also said the on-campus Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus.

School officials on Monday declined to release more information on the sanctions, including how many students were expelled and suspended.

In a statement last week responding to the woman’s lawsuit, Cornell said federal privacy law barred it from disclosing specific information on individual students.

The national chapter of Chi Phi did not return phone and email messages Monday.

The complaint accuses the university of not preventing the alleged assaults and failing to properly address sexual violence on campus. It includes a photo that it says shows a group chat between frat members discussing the night's events.

Cornell said a school task force on campus sexual assault, formed in February 2025, made recommendations earlier this year. Several of the recommendations have been implemented while others are in development.

The task force report said a 2025 school survey showed 35% of undergraduate women and 8% of undergraduate men reported experiencing sexual assault during their time at Cornell.