Cornell student says sexual encounters at fraternity felt like coercion
A Cornell University student who filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was gang raped detailed in a November 15, 2024, police statement that her sexual encounters at a Chi Phi fraternity house felt like coercion and that she was extremely intoxicated. According to a copy of the police report obtained by ABC News, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to bring criminal charges in 2024 based on the statement, though the case has since reopened following the civil complaint and calls for an outside investigation by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The 2024 Police Statement and Intoxication Claims
In her November 15, 2024, statement to law enforcement, Jane Doe described being at an intoxication level of about an 8 out of 10, characterizing it as the most intoxicated she had ever been in her life. She stated that she felt unable to make any decisions due to her impairment. “To me, that felt like coercion,” she wrote in the document, adding that due to her slurring words, the fraternity members should have recognized her level of intoxication. The statement recalled multiple instances where she declined to participate in specific acts suggested by men at the Chi Phi fraternity house, including saying “no to the foursome” proposed by one brother and running to hide under covers on another bed when a group of men entered a room.
District Attorney Assessment and Legal Developments
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten described the allegations in an ABC News interview as “morally disturbing,” but noted that Jane Doe’s 2024 account indicated she consented to sexual activity and did not withdraw that consent. According to Van Houten, when she raised concerns during the night, the fraternity members stopped and did not pursue those actions. Van Houten stated that the allegations in the recent civil suit are “dramatically different” from those detailed in the 2024 statement. In the civil lawsuit filed earlier this month, the woman alleged she was drugged, assaulted, and gang raped by seven former and current members of the fraternity.
Campus Response and External Investigations
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called for an outside investigation into the university’s handling of the allegations and campus culture. Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter was barred from campus following the incident on October 19, 2024, although no individual criminal charges were filed at the time. Cornell University stated that the former student’s allegations were previously investigated over several months by the university’s Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards under Title IX policies, including hearings before a panel of trained faculty and staff.
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