NY AG Letitia James named special prosecutor in Cornell University gang rape, will take over for local DA

Colin Mixson, New York Daily News on Oct 1, 2026

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NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to take over the newly reopened investigation into the alleged gang rape of a woman at a Cornell University frat house.

As special prosecutor, James will not only take the reins from Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten in the investigation into the alleged rape, but she will also review his previous investigation into the troubling allegations that ultimately led his office not to prosecute the case, Hochul said.

“As special prosecutor, the attorney general will investigate this incident and, if warranted, prosecute any offenses arising from that investigation and present evidence to a grand jury,” Hochul said in a statement Thursday.

A woman filed a lawsuit last month alleging she was drugged and repeatedly sexually assaulted in October 2024 by seven Chi Phi fraternity members. She was a 20-year-old Cornell student at the time and a sorority member.

She claimed that she was interviewed by the campus police department, but criminal charges were never filed.

Hochul said that new information revealed in the lawsuit “raised serious questions about the investigation conducted by the Cornell Police Department and the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney not to prosecute.”

“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 said.

Van Houton has always defended his decision not to press charges in the 2024 case, claiming that the original statement the woman gave campus police did not seem to warrant criminal charges.

“Jane Doe’s sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped,” he said in the statement.

James’ appointment as special prosecutor comes one day after Cornell University agreed to Gov. Hochul’s demand for an independent review by outside counsel of the university’s response to the gang rape allegations at a college fraternity house.

“I spoke with Cornell’s president today, and the university has agreed to bring in outside counsel for an independent investigation,” Hochul posted on X Wednesday. “I’ve directed my team to look at what more we can do to strengthen protections for survivors. This culture has to stop. And in New York, we’re going to do everything we can to stop it.”

In the victim’s complaint, the woman said the seven men were given “the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to Cornell,” an allegation the university denies was the sole consequence.

Court filings include a photo of what purports to be a Snapchat group chat between fraternity brothers from that night, where one man wrote that there was “free p—- upstairs.”

On Monday, the university said in a statement that it supported the district attorney’s decision to reopen the probe. School officials said Cornell conducted a “thorough Title IX investigation” at the time and issued sanctions, including an unspecified number of expulsions and suspensions. It also said the on-campus Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024.

“Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false,” said Kyle Kimball, the vice president for university relations. “A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault.”

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