New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday said the woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024 was “failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her.”

The governor lambasted both the Cornell University Police Department and the Tompkins County District Attorney for their handling of the case at a Friday morning press conference with New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“In what world would the police learn from a victim that she’d been literally gang-raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house, and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney?” Hochul asked. “In what world does the district attorney not even interview her, or anyone else involved, or even request the full transcript?”

The governor’s comments came one day after she appointed James to serve as special prosecutor, saying the handling of the investigation to date “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 on Friday that James will “follow the facts, she’ll examine the evidence, and go wherever it leads. And if the evidence supports criminal charges, she will pursue them.” The governor said she did not have any immediate plans to remove Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who has defended his office’s work.

After the investigation, James will decide whether any prosecution is warranted and whether to present the evidence to a grand jury.

Van Houten said in a statement provided to MS NOW on Friday that he supports James’ appointment as special prosecutor, adding, “It has become clear that we were not provided the full picture by the University.”

“The focus has been and should continue to be on the victims,” the DA said. “My office will cooperate fully with the Attorney General.”

A Cornell spokesperson said in a statement that the university supports both the governor’s appointment of a special prosecutor and her call to close a loophole in state law that complicates charging individuals with rape if the accuser was intoxicated, as the Cornell student allegedly was. The statement added that university officials are “committed to an independent external review of all aspects of how Cornell has handled this case.”

The case dominated national headlines after the woman filed a civil lawsuit last month, alleging she was sexually assaulted and drugged by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at their on-campus house in October 2024. The woman, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, reported the incident to the Cornell Police Department three weeks later, prompting an internal investigation by the university. The district attorney’s office declined to pursue criminal charges, arguing the allegations did not meet New York’s legal threshold and describing Jane Doe’s involvement as voluntary and conscious.

The men listed as defendants in the lawsuit have issued statements denying criminal wrongdoing.

On Tuesday, CBS reported details from a transcript of Cornell University police’s interview with Jane Doe, which was conducted with a Title IX investigator, a victim advocate and Jane Doe’s adviser present. The transcript reportedly shows that Jane Doe told investigators, “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped.”

The case has shaken the Cornell campus, with students, parents and alumni demanding accountability from university leaders. At a public hearing convened by the student government on Thursday night, students broke down in tears, and the student body president told the assembled crowd they were “absolutely ashamed of the events that happened on campus,” the New York Times reported.

In response to the scrutiny of its internal investigation, Cornell University said it conducted a thorough Title IX investigation into the matter, which resulted in “a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions” from the university.

On Friday, Hochul said Title IX is “deeply flawed.”

Van Houten previously told MS NOW in an interview that he only learned of Jane Doe’s police interview transcript on Tuesday.

Van Houten said the new information revealed in the interview was “extremely troubling” and “certainly merits reopening the investigation.”

This story has been updated with information from the Friday press conference and statements from Cornell University and Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten.

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