The Brief New York Governor Kathy Hochul stripped local authorities of jurisdiction over an alleged October 2024 sexual assault at a Cornell University fraternity house, reassigning the case to State Attorney General Letitia James. The decision follows intense public backlash and concerns regarding the initial campus police investigation and Tompkins County DA Matthew Van Houten's choice not to press charges. James's office will now independently review the evidence to determine if a grand jury should be convened.



New York Gov. Kathy Hochul moved to take a Cornell University sexual assault investigation out of local hands on Thursday, placing the state attorney general in charge.



Hochul made the move after expressing doubts about how local authorities managed the allegations, according to The Associated Press (AP).


Under a new executive order, Attorney General Letitia James' office will assume full oversight of the case involving a woman's reported rape at a fraternity house, and the special prosecutor will re-examine the evidence and determine whether to seek a grand jury indictment. James' office confirmed to FOX 5 N.Y. Wednesday that it was reviewing the case, but did not disclose the precise scope of what investigators were examining or what timeline existed for determining next steps at the time.

Cornell alleged gang rape case reopened

The backstory:

The issue gained renewed attention after a former Cornell student accused seven men of sexually assaulting her at the Chi Phi fraternity house on campus in October 2024.

Her suit says the assault occurred after she was pressured into snorting ketamine, smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol, to the point where she was incapable of consenting to sex.

The woman reported the incident to Cornell's campus police department, but the local district attorney's office opted not to prosecute anyone at the time. It reopened the criminal investigation Monday as public outrage built over the woman's allegations, to which Hochul responded on Tuesday calling for an independent investigation.


Hochul's dec

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