Prosecutors investigating an alleged gang rape at Cornell University declined an opportunity to review additional evidence before deciding not to file charges, according to a new report.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten previously said Cornell University police supplied his office with only the alleged victim’s sworn statement and a screenshot of Snapchat messages allegedly exchanged by members of the Chi Phi fraternity.
However, records obtained by The New York Times reportedly show that campus police investigator Jeffrey Northrop discussed the existence of additional interviews with Jeff Huddle, a member of Van Houten’s staff.
Northrop’s notes allegedly state that prosecutors showed no interest in examining the interviews because they had already decided that criminal charges would not be pursued based on Jane Doe’s statement.
The records have raised further questions about how thoroughly prosecutors and campus police investigated the woman’s allegations in 2024.
Account appears to contradict earlier explanation
Van Houten previously blamed the decision not to prosecute partly on the limited evidence his office received from Cornell police.
He said prosecutors never received the full transcript of Jane Doe’s two-day interview conducted during Cornell’s internal Title IX investigation.
Van Houten maintained that the woman’s initial sworn police statement described her participation in drug use and sexual activity as voluntary, conscious and consensual.
He acknowledged that his office had relied upon Cornell police and had not conducted its own independent investigation.
The newly reported records do not establish that Van Houten’s office possessed the complete Title IX file. However, they suggest prosecutors were informed that additional interviews existed and declined to examine them before closing the case.
Van Houten had not publicly responded to the latest report at the time of publication.
Woman alleges she was drugged and raped
The woman, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, alleges that seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her at the fraternity house on 19 October 2024.
She claims she had already consumed alcohol before fraternity members pressured her into taking ketamine, marijuana and additional drinks.
Her civil lawsuit alleges that she was sexually assaulted repeatedly while severely intoxicated and moving in and out of consciousness.
It also cites a Snapchat message allegedly circulated among fraternity members during the incident.
The accused men have not been charged with any crime. Several have denied wrongdoing, while four reportedly acknowledged having sexual contact with the woman but maintained that it was consensual.
Governor appoints Letitia James
Van Houten reopened the investigation in September 2026 following renewed scrutiny generated by Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit.
He initially announced plans to present the evidence to a Tompkins County grand jury.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul subsequently removed the case from Van Houten’s control and appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.
Hochul said newly released information had damaged her confidence, and the public’s confidence, in the district attorney’s ability to investigate and prosecute the case effectively.
James’s office will now determine whether there is sufficient evidence to seek criminal charges.
Cornell has said it will cooperate with the new investigation and has commissioned an independent review of its own response. The university previously closed the Chi Phi chapter and imposed sanctions that reportedly included suspensions and expulsions.
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