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Hochul Names Letitia James Special Prosecutor in Cornell Case

By Drooid · Oct 9, 2026, 6:12 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Hochul Appoints James

Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the Cornell rape case on Oct. 1, 2026.
Hochul said she lost confidence in District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, prompting the replacement.
Defendant Gillio Lopes filed an Article 78 petition on Oct. 7, 2026 to remove James, alleging bias from her Sept. 28, 2026 X post.
Hochul and James assert the investigation will be independent, involving the district attorney and outside experts.

Summary

Yates Leads Review

Sally Yates will lead an independent review of Cornell’s sexual misconduct handling.
Cornell Faculty Senate passed a resolution calling for a no-confidence vote in the administration.
Thousands marched on President Michael Kotlikoff’s office demanding his resignation.
Doe’s lawyer released an audio recording where a caller threatened bloodshed if the lawsuit continued.
The university’s 2025 $60 million settlement with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration drew criticism for undermining DEI programs.

History

Historical Context

After the late-1970s Alexander v. Yale case first applied Title IX to campus sexual harassment, the Obama administration’s 2011 Dear-Colleague Letter forced schools such as the University of Virginia to overhaul policies, prompting a federal OCR audit. Today, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has named Attorney General Letitia James and former Deputy AG Sally Yates to review Cornell, echoing a decades-long trend of expanding federal oversight.

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Hochul Appoints James

Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the Cornell rape case on Oct. 1, 2026.
Hochul said she lost confidence in District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, prompting the replacement.
Defendant Gillio Lopes filed an Article 78 petition on Oct. 7, 2026 to remove James, alleging bias from her Sept. 28, 2026 X post.
Hochul and James assert the investigation will be independent, involving the district attorney and outside experts.

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