New York Prosecutors Reopen Cornell Fraternity Sexual Assault Probe Following Lawsuit

New Investigation

New York state prosecutors have officially restarted a criminal probe into an alleged gang assault at a Cornell University fraternity house in October 2024. The move follows a civil lawsuit filed this month by a former student who accused seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity of drugging and raping her at their chapter house. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten stated that his office plans to present the evidence to a grand jury to decide on potential criminal charges against the seven current and former students named in the suit.

Differing Accounts

The decision to reopen the case stems from stark differences between the new civil complaint and the victim's initial statement to campus police in November 2024. According to the District Attorney, the woman's original police interview stated that she voluntarily consumed alcohol and drugs and engaged in sexual activity, which led prosecutors at the time not to pursue criminal charges. The victim's attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, strongly disputed that account, stating his client was never interviewed by a trained detective and that authorities were previously given crucial evidence, including a screenshot of a Snapchat group chat where members allegedly discussed the assault. Cornell University issued a statement supporting the reopened criminal inquiry and clarified that its own internal Title IX hearing panel previously imposed serious sanctions, including expulsions and suspensions, while denying claims that students were let off with only essay-writing tasks.

Defendant Responses

Attorneys for the accused men have firmly denied the allegations outlined in the lawsuit. Representative Jeremy Saland stated that his client, Scott Kretzschmar, did not sexually assault or touch the woman. Another defendant, Scott Norris, denied participating in any sexual activity or drug use, and acknowledged through his lawyer that while he sent a message mentioned in the legal filing, he was not present when the misconduct occurred.

Context

High-profile legal battles involving campus sexual assault often highlight deep tensions between internal university disciplinary proceedings and the external criminal justice system. When survivors file civil complaints months or years after initial campus investigations, newly surfaced digital evidence like group chat logs frequently prompts law enforcement to take a second look at cases that were previously closed due to conflicting initial statements.