ITHACA, N.Y.: New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday appointed a special prosecutor to oversee an investigation into a woman's allegations that she was gang raped at a Cornell University fraternity house, saying she had lost faith in the local district attorney's ability to handle the case, the Associated Press reported.
Hochul said she had signed an executive order appointing the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor. "Newly released information continues to raise serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute an alleged sexual assault on Cornell University's campus in October 2024," Hochul said.
'Every fact will be examined'
"This has, in turn, undercut my faith, and the public's faith, in the District Attorney's ability to effectively investigate and prosecute the case at this time," the governor added. She said the attorney general would oversee the investigation and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury.
"The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued," Hochul said, adding that the move would ensure the matter is "fully and thoroughly investigated without conflict or bias, and handled independently with the rigor that this matter demands."
Background
The investigation had initially been closed without charges in 2024. It got renewed attention when the woman, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a civil lawsuit last month against seven fraternity brothers, the university, the Chi Phi fraternity and others, alleging she was plied with drugs and alcohol and subjected to sex acts by a group of men while she was partially or entirely incapacitated.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the investigation earlier this week amid criticism that he had abandoned the original investigation too quickly. Messages left for Van Houten were not immediately returned late Thursday, according to AP.
Sources: TMJ4 / AP | WVLT / AP
Hochul said she had signed an executive order appointing the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor. "Newly released information continues to raise serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute an alleged sexual assault on Cornell University's campus in October 2024," Hochul said.
'Every fact will be examined'
"This has, in turn, undercut my faith, and the public's faith, in the District Attorney's ability to effectively investigate and prosecute the case at this time," the governor added. She said the attorney general would oversee the investigation and, if warranted, present evidence to a grand jury.
"The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued," Hochul said, adding that the move would ensure the matter is "fully and thoroughly investigated without conflict or bias, and handled independently with the rigor that this matter demands."
Background
The investigation had initially been closed without charges in 2024. It got renewed attention when the woman, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a civil lawsuit last month against seven fraternity brothers, the university, the Chi Phi fraternity and others, alleging she was plied with drugs and alcohol and subjected to sex acts by a group of men while she was partially or entirely incapacitated.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the investigation earlier this week amid criticism that he had abandoned the original investigation too quickly. Messages left for Van Houten were not immediately returned late Thursday, according to AP.
Sources: TMJ4 / AP | WVLT / AP
