New York State Police will now investigate all sexual assault complaints at Cornell after gang-rape scandal

New York State Police will now investigate all sexual assault complaints at Cornell after gang-rape scandal ‘When someone reports sexual assault, they deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and know their allegations will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated,’ Governor Kathy Hochul announced - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in New York State Police will take over future sexual assault investigations at Cornell University following mounting criticism of the school’s handling of a former student’s allegations that she was drugged and gang-raped by members of a fraternity. Governor Kathy Hochul announced the agreement Thursday, saying sexual offense complaints that would typically fall under the jurisdiction of campus police will instead be referred to state police for criminal investigations, unless the accuser requests otherwise. Effective immediately, the agreement — signed by Cornell and state police — is intended to ensure that sexual assault allegations are thoroughly investigated by law enforcement agencies trained to handle such cases. Survivors may also request that Cornell University Police, Ithaca Police or the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office investigate their complaints. “When someone reports sexual assault, they deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and know their allegations will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated,” Hochul said in a statement announcing the change. Referring to the allegations at the center of the controversy as “horrifying,” the governor added: “Survivors should be able to trust the institutions responsible for protecting them. We cannot afford to let them down.” The policy change follows intense scrutiny of Cornell’s handling of a woman’s allegations that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven members of the university’s Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024. Last week, a former Chi Phi president was dropped from the woman’s civil lawsuit with prejudice after it emerged he had been mistakenly identified as the chapter president at the time of the alleged assault. The woman, identified as Jane Doe, alleges she was 20 when fraternity members pressured her to consume ketamine before sexually assaulting her over several hours while she was too intoxicated to consent. Attorneys representing the men have disputed the allegations, with some maintaining that the sexual activity was consensual and others denying their clients’ involvement. No criminal charges have been filed against them. Cornell conducted its own disciplinary investigation, resulting in several students being expelled or otherwise disciplined. However, the criminal investigation was initially closed without charges, raising questions about how the allegations were handled and what information was shared with prosecutors. The case was reopened in September after Jane Doe filed her civil lawsuit. Hochul subsequently appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation amid concerns about the original handling of the case by Cornell police and the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office. The governor questioned why the local prosecutor initially declined to pursue charges without interviewing the woman or other people involved or reviewing the full transcript of her police interview. Separately, a committee of Cornell’s board of trustees appointed former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent review of the university’s response to sexual misconduct allegations. The new agreement with state police will remain in place while that review is underway. The controversy has also prompted Cornell’s Faculty Senate to move forward with a non-binding vote of no confidence in the university’s administration over its handling of sexual assault cases. About 135 members are eligible to vote on the resolution between October 30 and November 6. [Image text:] CORNELL UNIVERSITY