New York Attorney General Letitia James has opened a civil review of Cornell University’s handling of an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house.
James, 66, announced the move Wednesday evening during an interview with Spectrum News, confirming her office would examine whether the Ivy League school followed proper protocols after a former student filed a lawsuit claiming she was drugged and raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024. The case, which has become known publicly as the “Cornell 7” matter, has drawn mounting political pressure and national attention in recent weeks.
“My office has civil jurisdiction, not criminal jurisdiction,” James said on Spectrum News. “At this point in time we are possibly looking at how Cornell handled this situation and whether or not they could update their protocols and provide security to all their students. Particularly individuals who are the victims of sexual assault.”
The lawsuit, filed by the former student, alleges a deeply flawed Title IX process that spanned twelve hearings and produced what she called inadequate punishment. According to her claims, only two of the seven accused fraternity members were expelled, while others faced lesser discipline that she described as a “slap on the wrist.” The suit has put intense scrutiny on how elite universities investigate and adjudicate sexual assault allegations involving Greek life organizations.
Cornell has pushed back against the lawsuit’s characterization of its response. The university has stated that it acted in coordination with law enforcement and took the step of banning the Chi Phi chapter from campus entirely.
The criminal side of the case has also gained new momentum. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has reopened a criminal investigation into the alleged rape, a separate track from James’ civil review. The DA’s decision adds a parallel layer of official scrutiny to an incident that the plaintiff says occurred last year.
Political pressure on Cornell has come from multiple directions. Gov. Kathy Hochul has joined calls for a “transparent, independent review” of the university’s actions. During a campaign stop in Ithaca on Sunday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 35, delivered sharp criticism of the school and similar institutions.
“elite institutions” for protecting a “culture of rape, sexual assault, and pedophilia,” Ocasio-Cortez said at the Ithaca event.
The allegations center on events at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024, when the plaintiff, then a student at Cornell, says she was drugged and subjected to a group sexual assault by seven members of the fraternity. She filed suit weeks ago, bringing the case into public view and triggering the cascade of political and institutional responses now unfolding. The lawsuit details a Title IX process that she contends failed to deliver meaningful accountability, with most of the accused remaining at the university or facing minimal consequences.
James’ civil review will focus on institutional protocols rather than individual criminal culpability, a distinction she emphasized in her Spectrum News appearance. Her office’s examination could lead to recommendations for policy changes at Cornell, though the scope and timeline remain undefined.
The case has become a flashpoint in broader debates about campus sexual assault, Greek life culture, and whether universities adequately protect students who report attacks. Multiple elected officials have now demanded accountability from one of the country’s most selective universities, with the state’s top law enforcement official joining county prosecutors in active scrutiny.