New York state prosecutors have reopened a criminal inquiry into an alleged 2024 rape at Cornell University after the woman who reported it filed a civil lawsuit, according to the BBC and PBS NewsHour. No criminal charges were filed when the allegation was first investigated, PBS reported.
The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, alleges that she was drugged and raped by multiple people at a fraternity house. NPR reported that her lawsuit alleges seven male Cornell students raped her. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said that, once appropriate charges are determined, the matter would go before a grand jury. Cornell said it supports presentation of the case to a grand jury and said it had imposed punishments, including suspensions and expulsions, after its own investigation.