New York Governor Appoints Special Prosecutor in Cornell Rape Case

New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to oversee an investigation into allegations of a 2024 gang rape at Cornell University and the subsequent handling of the case.

Hochul stated on Friday that the accuser was denied justice and that she would not allow the case to be swept under the rug. The governor expressed being deeply disturbed by the actions of Cornell University police and the Tompkins County District Attorney's office, whose handling of the matter led to no criminal charges being pursued in 2024.

James's office will now have the authority to bring charges and present evidence before a grand jury if warranted, with James announcing the launch of an active criminal investigation. The case involves a civil lawsuit filed last month by a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, who alleges she was supplied with drugs and alcohol and assaulted by members of the Chi Phi fraternity over seven hours.

Doe claims she reported the incident to Cornell police weeks later, but prosecutors did not file charges. Hochul stated her confidence in James to examine the facts and draw proper conclusions, despite questions raised by a reporter about James's prior social media posts expressing support for the accuser. The governor's decision comes as scrutiny intensifies over the university's and local prosecutors' responses to the allegations.