New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday evening that she has appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in a high-profile sexual assault case.
The case centers on a former Cornell University student who alleges she was raped at a Chi Phi fraternity house near the Ivy League campus in October 2024.
Hochul cited “newly released information” that raises “serious questions” about how Cornell Police and the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office initially handled the investigation.
“For this reason, I have issued an executive order appointing Attorney General James as special prosecutor in this case,” Hochul said in a statement shared on social media.
Hochul said that as special prosecutor, James will investigate the incident, present evidence to a grand jury, and prosecute any offenses if warranted.
“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,” Hochul added.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe in a lawsuit filed last month, alleges she was drugged and raped over several hours by seven men at the fraternity house.
Jane Doe originally reported the incident to Cornell’s police department several weeks after it occurred, but no criminal charges were ever filed against any of the alleged perpetrators.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said charges were not filed because a six-page report from campus police did not include allegations that the woman was “drugged against her will or gang raped.”
Hochul’s executive order comes just five days after Van Houten announced he would reopen the investigation into the former student’s allegations.
In an interview with ABC News, Van Houten acknowledged that his office relied on the Cornell Police investigation and did not “independently investigate” the allegations.
“Every New Yorker deserves to know that when they report a crime, it will be investigated fully and fairly,” James said, adding that her office is prepared to conduct an investigation “guided by the facts and the law.”
Hochul also told ABC News on Wednesday that Cornell University agreed to initiate an independent investigation into how the school handled the matter internally.
Cornell confirmed its agreement to the independent review and expressed support for James’ appointment, stating, “Cornell supports Governor Hochul’s decision to assign this case to the New York Attorney General’s Office.”
“The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued,” Hochul said.
