New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the appointment of the state’s attorney general as a special prosecutor to investigate the alleged gang rape of a woman at Cornell University.
The woman has alleged in her lawsuit filed on September 16 that she was drugged and raped by several men at a fraternity house in October 2024.
“New information has raised serious questions about how this case was handled, and I’ve lost faith in the Tompkins County DA’s ability to fairly oversee it,” NY Governor Hochul said.
The announcement has led to the removal of Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten from handling the case.
The governor reaffirmed her resolve to pursue justice at any cost, saying, “The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued.”
The attorney general will, if deemed necessary, prosecute any offences found by her probe and present evidence to a grand jury, Governor Hochul said.
While AG Letitia James shared a post on her X (formerly Twitter) soon after the announcement, writing, she stood ready “to lead a process guided by the facts and the law.”
“The Governor has entrusted my office with this investigation, and we do not take that responsibility lightly,” she added.
The woman at the centre of the case, identified by the pseudonym Jane Doe in court filings, sued Cornell University last month.
She alleges in her complaint that seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her at the frat house in October 2024.
The seven members named in the civil complaint have never been criminally charged, but the complaint alleges they were issued temporary suspension.
Earlier in the week, DA Van Houten announced the case would be reopened in less than two weeks after Doe filed her civil lawsuit.
2026-10-02 13:28:00
