The district attorney in Tompkins County, New York, has reopened an investigation into allegations of sexual assault at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024, following a civil lawsuit filed by the woman who says she was assaulted. The case is being handled by District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, not the New York attorney general.
The lawsuit alleges that seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity sexually assaulted the woman when she was unable to consent. Van Houten said Monday that his office would present the case to a grand jury, which could consider whether criminal charges are warranted. No finding of criminal guilt has been made.
Prosecutors did not bring charges after the woman initially reported the incident in 2024. Van Houten said the account in the new lawsuit differs from her initial statement to campus police. Her lawyer disputes that characterization and has criticized the earlier investigation.
Cornell said it supports the renewed investigation. The university said its own disciplinary process resulted in suspensions and expulsions, and that the Chi Phi chapter involved has been barred from campus since 2024. The allegations remain under investigation as prosecutors review the evidence.
