Hochul calls for independent review of Cornell's 2024 assault response

Tompkins DA reopens criminal case as Ithaca mayor freezes student permits

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday called for an independent review of Cornell University’s response to allegations that seven members of a fraternity gang-raped a female student in 2024. In a written statement, Hochul said “the allegations in this case are nothing short of horrifying.” For any student to come forward after an experience like this takes extraordinary courage, she said, and no student “should ever be left wondering whether the institutions meant to protect them will listen and act.”

Hochul said Tuesday that while she supports the decision to reopen the criminal investigation, the allegations raise “serious questions about Cornell’s campus culture and its systems for prevention, reporting and response.” “That is why I am calling for outside counsel to conduct a transparent, independent review of the university’s response to determine whether Cornell met every obligation to protect its students and pursue justice,” she said.

The accuser’s civil lawsuit against Cornell and the seven men was made public earlier this month, seeking compensatory and punitive damages. According to the suit, the unidentified woman alleges that seven Chi Phi fraternity members drugged and raped her for hours. She reported the alleged assault to campus police. None of the students were charged, and the woman later left Cornell because of the resulting trauma, according to her lawsuit.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said Monday he was reopening the criminal case. Once charges have been determined, the matter will be presented to a grand jury, he said. Hochul said Tuesday she supports the decision to reopen the criminal investigation.

Cornell, in a statement to ABC News, said it “shares Gov. Hochul’s commitment to addressing campus culture issues.” A university spokesperson said the school “is committed to continuing to work with state officials to advance student safety and wellbeing.” The school said separately on Monday that it supports Van Houten’s decision to reopen the investigation.

In a separate Tuesday statement informing students of the resources and support the university offers to those affected by sexual assault, Cornell University Board of Trustees Chair Anne Meinig Smalling said the university “will continue to examine and strengthen our policies to ensure we are doing all we can to foster a culture where sexual misconduct is never tolerated, those who come forward are supported and individuals found responsible through our processes are held accountable.”

In Ithaca, Mayor Robert Cantelmo, where the Ivy League school is located, announced Monday a moratorium on all student event and special event permits in the city. The freeze will remain in place, he said, until Cornell conducts a review of its protocols to prevent and prosecute crimes of sexual violence and publishes new standards and practices to keep the community safe. Cantelmo said Cornell administrators and police had failed to contact or coordinate a response with the Ithaca Police Department following the alleged assault. “This is a miscarriage of justice and continues to pose a significant threat to students and residents who may be victimized at unsafe and under-monitored on- or off-campus student events,” he said in his statement.

Cornell’s chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity has been barred from campus since November 2024 because of the incident.