Cornell University announced Wednesday that it will launch an independent investigation into how the institution addressed allegations of a gang rape committed by members of a fraternity house. The agreement follows urgent appeals from New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who emphasized the need for transparency regarding the school’s handling of the case.
Governor Hochul confirmed to ABC News that she personally urged the university to take immediate action. “I wanted to make sure they knew how important this was, and they absolutely agreed,” Hochul said. “They’re acting on this this afternoon… an independent outside investigation of what happened.”
The call for review comes amid growing public outrage over a civil lawsuit filed by an unidentified former female student. She alleges that in 2024, she was drugged and gang-raped by seven current and former members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell. The incident has sparked broader conversations about campus safety and the treatment of women in higher education.
“People need to know the truth and I think it’s important for the public, for the victim, her family and the university community to know that their university did everything that they’re supposed to do,” Hochul stated.
Concerns about campus culture are underscored by internal university data, which indicates that 35% of undergraduate women reported experiencing sexual assault during their time at Cornell. However, Hochul noted that the issue is widespread across all campuses. “There’s been a culture of this kind of treatment of young women on campuses for as long as I’ve been in college, and it has to change,” she said.
Simultaneously, prosecutors in central New York have announced they are reopening the criminal investigation into the alleged assault. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated his office is considering whether to bring criminal charges, though he acknowledged that the allegations in the recent civil complaint differ significantly from the victim’s initial statement to police two years ago.
Van Houten also admitted in an interview with ABC News that his office relied heavily on the initial Cornell Police investigation and did not conduct an independent probe at that time.
In response to the allegations, Cornell confirmed that its Chi Phi chapter has been banned from campus. Trey Robb, the interim executive director of Chi Phi, stated in a release that all accused members were removed from the Cornell chapter within three days of the victim filing a police report in 2024. Three of the defendants named in the civil suit have denied the allegations through their legal representatives.
Cornell University maintained that it conducted a thorough Title IX investigation and imposed significant sanctions. “Any suggestion that the University did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false,” the university said in a statement on Monday, noting that the sanctions included expulsions and suspensions.
Details regarding the scope and timeline of the upcoming independent review have not yet been released by the university.
Interesting that police relied on campus investigation initially. Independent review seems overdue, not just a reaction to pressure.
Good that the governor is pushing for transparency. Students deserve to know the truth about how these cases are handled.