New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday that she is requesting an external, impartial investigation into Cornell University’s institutional culture and its handling of allegations that a former female student was raped by multiple men at a fraternity house in 2024.
In a statement, Hochul emphasized the need to determine whether the university fulfilled all its duties to safeguard students and seek justice. She described the accusations as horrifying and praised the survivor for her courage in coming forward.
“I support the district attorney’s decision to reopen the criminal investigation. But there are also serious questions about Cornell’s campus culture and its systems for prevention, reporting, and response,” Hochul said. “That is why I am calling for outside counsel to conduct a transparent, independent review of the university’s response to determine whether Cornell met every obligation to protect its students and pursue justice.”
Hochul added that no student should question whether the institutions designed to protect them will listen and take action.
A Cornell spokesperson told ABC News that the university shares the governor’s commitment to addressing campus culture issues, which affect institutions nationwide, and pledged to continue collaborating with state officials to improve student safety.
The call for review follows the reopening of the criminal probe by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten. Prosecutors announced the move after a former student filed a civil lawsuit claiming she was drugged and gang raped by seven current and former members of the Chi Phi fraternity.
Van Houten acknowledged that his office initially relied on the Cornell Police investigation and did not conduct an independent probe. He noted that the allegations detailed in the civil complaint differ significantly from the woman’s initial police statement two years ago. The DA’s office is now evaluating whether to file criminal charges.
Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo announced plans to issue a directive halting city permits for student events at Cornell until the university provides an accounting of its protocols for preventing and prosecuting sexual violence and publicly releases new safety standards.
Cantelmo criticized the university for failing to coordinate with the Ithaca Police Department and for not holding the alleged perpetrators accountable, calling the situation a miscarriage of justice that poses a threat to students and residents.
The Ithaca Police Department stated in a Monday release that the incident was not reported to them at the time and that they only recently learned of the allegations through media coverage. They encouraged community members to report any similar incidents directly to their office.
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