Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced a renewed criminal investigation into a 2024 sexual assault alleged to have occurred at Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity house. The decision follows a newly released transcript in which the alleged victim, identified only as “Jane Doe,” told campus police she could “say with 100% confidence I was raped.”
Transcript details raise new questions
The transcript, obtained by CBS News New York, records the woman speaking to Cornell campus police three weeks after the incident and again on November 14 and 15, 2024. She described the night as one of “coercion” and said she was “completely and totally incapacitated” after being pressured to snort ketamine, smoke marijuana, and consume alcohol. She also recounted being physically struck “very, very hard” while other men entered the room.
According to the transcript, the woman initially reported the assault to campus police about three weeks after the alleged attack began on October 19, 2024. She later provided a written statement that the district attorney’s office relied upon when initially declining to bring charges.
District attorney’s response
Van Houten told CBS News that he had not seen the interview transcript when the office first decided not to prosecute. He said the office based its earlier decision on a detailed written statement signed by the accuser. “There were no question marks. There was no additional need to find information because we had all of the information that the police collected from Jane Doe through her very detailed, very comprehensive statement,” Van Houten said to CNN earlier this week.
However, after reviewing the new transcript and the lawsuit filed by the woman in September, Van Houten said the investigation would be reopened. He emphasized that the reopening reflects “new information” rather than a reversal of the prior assessment.
Cornell’s actions
Cornell University first disclosed the investigation on November 8, 2024, the same day the woman first approached police. The university sent an email alert to students warning of a reported sexual assault and drug coercion at a fraternity house, and it suspended the Chi Phi chapter that day. President Michael Kotlikoff later described the allegations as “deeply disturbing” and ordered a task force to address sexual assault on campus.
While the university’s internal disciplinary process remains confidential, Cornell confirmed that some students have been disciplined or expelled as a result of its investigation. The Chi Phi chapter remains barred from campus, and the university has declined to release further details about individual sanctions.
Legal and community implications
The reopening of the case underscores ongoing concerns about how campus sexual assault allegations are handled by both university officials and local prosecutors. Advocates for victims argue that the initial decision not to prosecute sent a discouraging message to survivors, while some legal observers note the difficulty of pursuing charges when evidence is limited and the alleged victim’s memory is affected by substance use.
Local community leaders have called for greater transparency in the district attorney’s process and for stronger protections for students facing sexual violence. The case also highlights the broader national conversation about campus safety, due process, and the role of law enforcement in investigating alleged assaults.
Next steps
The district attorney’s office has not provided a timeline for the renewed investigation. Both Cornell University and the Chi Phi fraternity have pledged to cooperate fully with authorities. The outcome of the case may influence future university policies on fraternity oversight and the handling of sexual assault complaints.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
