Story perspectives

Cornell Faces Reopened Lawsuit as AG Leads Independent Probe

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 5:58 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Cornell Sued Over Rape

Cornell University is being sued over an alleged Oct. 19, 2024 gang rape at its Chi Phi fraternity house.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the case.
He will present evidence to a grand jury.
Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor for an independent review of Cornell’s response.
President Michael I. Kotlikoff said Cornell will hire outside counsel for the probe.

Summary

Dinowitz Reintroduces Bill

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz reintroduced a bill to eliminate New York’s voluntary intoxication exemption.
State Senator Nathalia Fernandez co-sponsored the legislation and scheduled a Thursday press conference in New York City.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie created a 14-member working group to review New York’s sexual-assault statutes.
The bill cleared the Senate multiple times since 2019 but never received an Assembly floor vote.

History

Historical Context

The 2018 $500 million settlement of Larry Nassar’s victims with Michigan State University spurred a federal audit that, in September 2019, led the U.S. Department of Education to levy a $4.5 million Clery Act fine—the largest ever. That enforcement action showed how high-profile abuse cases can trigger nationwide campus-crime reporting reforms, a pattern echoed in today’s investigations of other universities.

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Cornell Sued Over Rape

Cornell University is being sued over an alleged Oct. 19, 2024 gang rape at its Chi Phi fraternity house.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the case.
He will present evidence to a grand jury.
Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor for an independent review of Cornell’s response.
President Michael I. Kotlikoff said Cornell will hire outside counsel for the probe.

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