U.S. prosecutors reopen Cornell gang rape case after outcry
U.S. prosecutors have reopened a 2024 gang rape investigation at Cornell University involving members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The decision follows a civil lawsuit that provided new details and allegations of institutional leniency.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing debates regarding sexual assault accountability on U.S. college campuses and the role of institutional transparency.
U.S. prosecutors reopened an investigation on Monday (September 28, 2026) into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University following claims the elite college failed to properly punish the men involved.
The alleged victim said in a civil lawsuit this month she was drugged with ketamine, assaulted and raped in 2024 by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, a social club for male students.
Cornell closed the fraternity and temporarily suspended the students involved, several of whom were later expelled.
The newly-released details of the alleged incident have fuelled allegations that the university was too lenient and reignited a debate over sexual assault on U.S. campuses.
Matthew Van Houten, district attorney for Tompkins County in New York, said that he plans to file criminal charges against the seven men.
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