Gov. Kathy Hochul tapped New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday to serve as special prosecutor in an investigation into allegations that a woman was sexually assaulted at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024.

Hochul said newly released information in the case raised “serious questions” about the Cornell Police Department’s investigation and the Tompkins County District Attorney’s decision not to prosecute on the allegations.

“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,” the governor said in a statement.

“The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued,” Hochul’s statement continued. “This action will ensure that the matter is fully and thoroughly investigated without conflict or bias, and handled independently with the rigor that this matter demands.”

After the investigation, the New York attorney general will decide whether any prosecution is warranted and whether to present the evidence to a grand jury.

The woman who alleges she was assaulted filed a civil lawsuit earlier this 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.

“Every New Yorker deserves to know that when they report a crime, it will be investigated fully and fairly,” James said in a statement Thursday. “The Governor has entrusted my office with this investigation, and we do not take that responsibility lightly.”

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 Doe’s adviser present. The transcript reportedly shows that Doe told investigators, “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped.”

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.

Matthew Van Houten, the Tompkins County district attorney who decided against prosecuting the 2024 case, told MS NOW in an interview that he only learned of 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.”

The post Letitia James named special prosecutor in Cornell sexual assault investigation appeared first on MS NOW.

Author: Source Author

From MS Now.