New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed State Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the investigation into the alleged rape of a woman at Cornell University. Hochul said on Thursday that the move would ensure the case is investigated fully and thoroughly without conflict of interest or bias, and that it will be handled by an independent party with the seriousness it demands.
The decision removes Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten from oversight of the matter. Hoch stated that his decision not to prosecute the 2024 case, along with questions that have arisen recently regarding the investigation by Cornell University police, have undermined her confidence, as well as public confidence, in the district attorney's ability to effectively investigate and prosecute the case at this time. The governor added that new information raises serious questions about how the case was handled and that she has lost faith in the district attorney's ability to fairly oversee the proceedings.
James, if necessary, will prosecute any offenses identified by her investigation and present evidence to the grand jury, the governor said. James stated on X that she is ready to lead a process based on facts and law, and that she takes the responsibility of the investigation seriously. Hoch and James are to provide new information on the investigation on Friday morning local time.
The case dates back to 2024, and was reopened after the woman filed a civil lawsuit last month. In the legal documents, the woman is identified anonymously as Jane Doe. The lawsuit, filed in September, alleges that she was drugged and raped by seven men in a fraternity house in 2024. She claims that Cornell failed to protect her or adequately punish the men, who are now known as the "Cornell Seven." She is suing the seven men, alleging they committed assault, as well as the university and the fraternity. Attorneys for two of the men named have rejected the allegations, stating that their client did not touch the woman or consume drugs.
Van Houten defended the previous decision by his office not to press charges, stating that they did not receive enough evidence to meet the legal threshold. He said that his office had refrained from charges because they saw only Doe's statement, which indicated that the incident was consensual and that she was not drugged. Van Houten reopened the case after the civil lawsuit, and this week his office announced the reopening of the case, less than two weeks after Doe filed the lawsuit. Van Houten said that much of the information published recently about the case had not been forwarded to him. He also stated that the woman's initial statement to the police did not include claims that she had been drugged, incapacitated, or forced into sex. After CBS News published details from the transcript of the police interview, Van Houten told the network that he had not seen her detailed statement, but rather relied on a statement written by the police officer, which was signed by the prosecutor.
Cornell stated that it had provided evidence to the district attorney's office from its own investigation, including a group chat on Snapchat in which fraternity members discussed a "free" sexual encounter with Doe on the night of the alleged attack. The university stated that it had indefinitely suspended the fraternity of Chi Phi and disciplined or expelled some students, but refused to provide details, citing student privacy rules. Under pressure from the public and politicians, including Hoch, Cornell agreed on Wednesday to hire outside counsel for an independent investigation into how it handled her allegations. The attorney for Doe, Thomas Giuffre, accused the district attorney of changing his version of events in media coverage several times.
