RismadarVoice Reporters
October 1, 2026
New details have emerged from a police statement given by a former Cornell University student who accused members of a fraternity of sexually assaulting her in 2024, as prosecutors reopen their investigation into the case.
The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, gave a sworn statement to Cornell University police on November 15, 2024, weeks after the alleged incident at the Chi Phi fraternity house.
According to the statement, Doe told investigators that she had initially agreed to a sexual encounter involving two men after spending the evening drinking before arriving at the fraternity house.
She said, however, that she became increasingly intoxicated as the night progressed and eventually felt unable to make decisions.
Doe told police that her recollection of portions of the night became unclear and that she felt increasingly uncomfortable as additional men entered the room.
She also described one encounter as feeling coercive, saying she believed those involved should have recognised her level of intoxication.
The account has become central to renewed scrutiny of the case following a civil lawsuit filed in September against seven former fraternity members, Cornell University and other organisations.
The lawsuit contains allegations that go beyond portions of Doe’s original police statement, including claims concerning the conduct of fraternity members and electronic communications allegedly exchanged during the night.
Messages from a fraternity group chat have also emerged as potentially significant evidence in the renewed investigation.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten previously defended his office’s decision not to bring criminal charges following the initial investigation.
Van Houten said prosecutors had reviewed Doe’s 2024 statement and concluded at the time that the available evidence did not establish the elements necessary to prove a criminal offence beyond a reasonable doubt.
Doe’s lawyer, Thomas P. Giuffra, has challenged that assessment and questioned the handling of the original investigation.
The district attorney has since reopened the criminal investigation following the filing of the lawsuit and renewed attention surrounding the case.
Van Houten has said evidence will be presented to a grand jury.
The reopening does not establish the guilt of any of the individuals accused in the lawsuit, and the seven former fraternity members named in the civil case have not been convicted of crimes in connection with the allegations.
Lawyers representing some of the defendants have denied allegations against their clients.
Cornell has said it previously conducted its own investigation into the allegations, which resulted in disciplinary measures including suspensions and expulsions.
The university also barred the Chi Phi chapter from campus.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday that Cornell had agreed to an independent investigation into the university’s handling of the case.
The review is expected to examine Cornell’s response to the allegations and broader questions surrounding campus safety and institutional procedures.
The case remains the subject of both civil litigation and a renewed criminal investigation.
