A US prosecutor has released new details about an alleged sexual assault case involving seven former members of Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity, saying the accuser's account to campus police in 2024 differed significantly from allegations made in a civil lawsuit filed this month.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said the investigation was reopened after the woman, identified as “Jane Doe” in the lawsuit, filed a civil complaint against the seven men and Cornell University. He said his office decided to publicly release her earlier statement after receiving numerous calls and emails seeking an explanation for why criminal charges had not been filed.
According to the prosecutor, Doe, who was 20 at the time, gave a six-page sworn statement to campus police in November 2024. Van Houten said the statement did not allege that she had been drugged against her will or gang-raped.
The account described an evening at the Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024. According to the statement cited by the DA, Doe arrived after making plans to meet one of the men, whom she knew as a friend. She described herself as moderately intoxicated when she arrived.
The statement said she subsequently engaged in sexual activity with several men and that some of the encounters were consensual. It also described drug use, including ketamine, during the night. At several points, according to the statement, Doe said she rejected specific sexual advances.
The prosecutor said Doe later had difficulty remembering parts of the evening. The account described additional men entering the room and interactions continuing until the early morning. She reportedly estimated her intoxication level as significantly higher by the end of the night.
The case has now become the subject of renewed public debate after Doe filed a civil lawsuit on September 16. The lawsuit alleges that she was pressured into consuming ketamine, marijuana and alcohol and eventually became incapacitated while members of the fraternity sexually assaulted her.
The seven men have been referred to as the “Cornell 7.”
The DA's decision to release details from Doe's earlier statement has drawn criticism from sexual-assault advocates. Stefan Turkheimer of RAINN, an organisation focused on preventing sexual violence, criticised the public disclosure and argued that cases involving intoxication can be difficult to prosecute.
The controversy also focuses on New York's legal framework surrounding consent and voluntary intoxication. Critics argue that existing rules can make prosecution difficult when a person voluntarily consumes alcohol or drugs but later becomes too intoxicated to meaningfully consent.
At the same time, the civil lawsuit presents allegations that differ from the account described by the prosecutor. The allegations have not been established in court, and the seven accused men should not be treated as having been found guilty of any crime.
The case remains under scrutiny as authorities and the parties involved address the conflicting accounts of what happened inside the fraternity house in October 2024.
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