Tompkins County Reopens Cornell Fraternity Rape Case

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said Monday his office has reopened its investigation into an alleged gang-rape at Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity house, two years after his office declined to bring criminal charges, according to The Guardian.

The reversal follows a civil lawsuit filed earlier in September 2026 by the alleged victim, who says she was drugged and raped repeatedly over seven hours at the fraternity house in October 2024. Van Houten said the lawsuit's account is "dramatically different" from the sworn statement the woman gave police in November 2024.

How many fraternity members were named, and what discipline did Cornell impose?

Seven Chi Phi members are named as alleged perpetrators in the civil lawsuit, according to lawyers for the student, who was 20 at the time of the alleged assault. Of those seven, only two were expelled by the university. None of the seven were arrested. The remaining five received lesser sanctions — university-imposed essays, workshops, or short suspensions, the lawyers said.

By the numbers:

• 7 — fraternity members named as alleged perpetrators
• 2 — members expelled by Cornell
• 0 — members arrested
• 7 hours — length of the alleged assault, per the lawsuit
• 2 years — time between the alleged October 2024 incident and the reopened investigation

Why did prosecutors reopen the investigation?

Van Houten said the community reaction to "incomplete news and social media coverage" of the case prompted him to explain, and ultimately revisit, his office's 2024 decision not to pursue charges. He said his office is now looking again at the case in light of the allegations laid out in the September 2026 civil suit — allegations he described as inconsistent with what the alleged victim told investigators at the time.

"While I generally refrain from commenting publicly on criminal investigations, the community outrage stemming from the incomplete news and social media coverage requires that I provide an answer to why the investigation resulted in a lack of criminal charges," Van Houten said, according to the Guardian.

What does the district attorney say about the conflicting statements?

Van Houten said the alleged victim's November 2024 sworn statement "did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped." Instead, he said, "Jane Doe's statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual." He added that his office "obviously did not and could not have based our November 2024 decision on the allegations in a civil lawsuit that would not be filed until nearly two years later."

The lawsuit itself describes a materially different account — that the woman was drugged without her consent and raped by multiple men over seven hours. The two versions, as laid out by the DA's office and the civil complaint, directly conflict on the central question of consent.

What is the timeline of the case?

• October 2024 — Alleged gang-rape occurs at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University.
• November 2024 — The alleged victim gives a sworn statement to police that, per the DA, describes the drug use and sexual conduct as consensual.
• 2024–2025 — Tompkins County declines to file criminal charges; Cornell expels two of the seven named members and sanctions the rest with essays, workshops, or short suspensions.
• September 2026 — The alleged victim files a civil lawsuit against Cornell and the seven fraternity members, describing the incident as a drugged, nonconsensual gang-rape.
• September 28, 2026 — Van Houten announces the criminal investigation has been reopened.

What happens next in the case?

The civil lawsuit against Cornell and the seven individuals proceeds separately from the criminal review Van Houten's office has now reopened. The Guardian's report does not specify a timeline for either the reopened criminal investigation or the civil case, and no new charges have been filed as of Monday's statement.

Key terms in the case

• Civil lawsuit — A private legal action seeking damages, separate from any criminal prosecution; it does not require the same burden of proof as a criminal case.
• District attorney (DA) — The elected local prosecutor responsible for deciding whether to bring criminal charges; Tompkins County's DA is Matthew Van Houten.
• Expulsion vs. suspension — University disciplinary outcomes that are distinct from criminal penalties; expulsion permanently removes a student, while suspension is temporary.
• Sworn statement — A formal account given to police or investigators under oath, which can be used to assess consistency with later claims made in court filings.

The original reporting on this case, including further detail from lawyers for the alleged victim, is available via The Guardian.

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