New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in a Cornell University sexual assault case involving an alleged rape at a fraternity house. An executive order authorizes James to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute offenses.
Hochul said newly released information raised questions about the Cornell Police Department’s investigation and the Tompkins County district attorney’s decision not to prosecute the alleged October 2024 assault. She said she no longer had confidence in the district attorney’s ability to handle the case effectively. Cornell said it supports the appointment.
In a civil lawsuit, a Cornell student alleges that seven men raped her at the Chi Phi fraternity house and that university officials mishandled her report. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has defended his earlier decision not to bring charges, saying investigators concluded the account initially given to university police did not establish a crime. He said his office was reopening the investigation after new information emerged in the lawsuit.
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