New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) has launched a civil review of Cornell University's response to allegations that seven Chi Phi fraternity members gang-raped a student in 2024.

James announced the review on Wednesday, stating her office would examine how the Ivy League school handled the incident and whether updates to its protocols are needed to better protect victims of sexual assault. "My office has civil jurisdiction, not criminal jurisdiction," she said in remarks reported by Spectrum News.

The review follows a civil lawsuit filed in mid-September by the former student, identified as Jane Doe. She alleges she was pressured to ingest ketamine, marijuana, and alcohol at the fraternity house on October 19, 2024, rendering her unable to consent. The suit claims Cornell's Title IX process involved multiple hearings and resulted in only two of the seven men being expelled.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the criminal investigation last Monday after reviewing new details from the lawsuit. He plans to present the case to a grand jury. Van Houten noted significant discrepancies between the woman's initial 2024 statement to police and the allegations in her complaint. In the six-page signed statement from November 2024, Doe described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual. She admitted taking drugs and alcohol with knowledge, estimated her initial intoxication level at a 5 or 6 out of 10, and expressed being "pretty ok with having this threesome." The statement contained no claims that she was drugged without consent, forced into acts, or physically helpless or incapacitated.

In contrast, the 2026 lawsuit alleges she was pressured into snorting ketamine and was incapable of consenting from the outset due to severe inebriation. It further claims gang rape and includes explicit fraternity Snapchat messages, which was not part of the initial report to prosecutors.

Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul has supported the reopened probe and called for an independent review of the university's systems for prevention, reporting, and response. Cornell has agreed to hire an outside law firm for a fresh investigation and has defended its prior actions, including shutting down the fraternity chapter and imposing sanctions ranging from suspensions to expulsions.

The case has drawn renewed attention to campus sexual assault handling at universities. Lawmakers have also discussed potential revisions to state sexual assault statutes to address cases involving intoxicated victims. James claimed her focus remains on university protocols rather than criminal charges against individuals.