Gov. Hochul Appoints AG Letitia James as Special Prosecutor in Cornell Gang-Rape Case

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday the appointment of Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate the alleged gang rape at Cornell University.

“The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued,” Hochul said in a statement. “This action will ensure that the matter is fully and thoroughly investigated without conflict or bias, and handled independently with the rigor that this matter demands.”

Hochul explained that the decision by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten not to prosecute the 2024 case, combined with recent questions surrounding the Cornell University Police Department’s investigation, had “undercut my faith, and the public’s faith, in the district attorney’s ability to effectively investigate and prosecute the case at this time.”

James will oversee the investigation and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury.

The case involves a former Cornell student who alleges she was gang-raped at a fraternity in 2024. She filed a lawsuit in September, sparking national outrage, roiling the Ivy League campus, and raising pointed questions about why no criminal charges were initially brought.

Van Houten previously declined to bring criminal charges but said this week he would reopen the investigation based on new information contained in the woman’s lawsuit, which identifies her by the pseudonym Jane Doe.

The district attorney has maintained that the woman’s initial account to police did not include allegations that she was drugged, incapacitated beyond the ability to consent, or forced into sex. However, after CBS News revealed details from the police interview transcript this week, Van Houten told the network he had never seen her detailed account and had relied instead on a statement written by a campus police officer and signed by the accuser.

The plaintiff is suing seven men she identifies as perpetrators, as well as the university, the fraternity, and other parties.

Attorneys for two of the accused men have denied the allegations of sexual assault; one lawyer stated his client had no physical contact with the woman and did not engage in drug use.

Cornell University has indefinitely suspended the Chi Phi fraternity and disciplined or expelled some students, though the university has declined to provide specifics, citing student privacy rules.

Amid mounting public and political pressure—including from Governor Hochul—the private university agreed Wednesday to retain outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation into its handling of the allegations.

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