"Allegation of Sexual Assault by 7 at Campus Club: U.S. Prosecutors Reopen Investigation Amid Controversy Over Lack of Criminal Charges"

"Why Were There No Criminal Charges?"

Cornell University Faces Renewed Investigation Over Sexual Assault Allegations

In connection with allegations that a female student at Cornell University, a prestigious Ivy League school in the United States, was sexually assaulted by seven male students, the local prosecutor’s office has decided to reopen the investigation.

According to the Associated Press on the 29th (local time), Matthew Van Houten, District Attorney for Tompkins County, New York, announced that he would present evidence against the seven students to a grand jury to determine whether to pursue criminal charges.

Cornell University campus view. Cornell University Instagram

This case emerged when a female Cornell student alleged she was sexually assaulted by seven students at the Chi Phi fraternity house on campus in October 2024. The woman filed a related civil lawsuit on September 16.

According to the complaint, the woman claimed she was pressured to inhale ketamine, smoke marijuana, and drink alcohol on the day of the incident. She asserted that she was sexually assaulted by fraternity members while in a state of lost consciousness, unable to control her body.

Debate continues on social media platforms regarding the lawsuit, the reopening of the prosecution's investigation, and Cornell University's response. While many posts criticized the school's and prosecutor’s actions, there were also voices doubting the claims raised in the lawsuit. Some users even released photos of the seven male students accused of being involved in the incident. Among the alleged perpetrators, a Korean student was also reportedly included.

The woman is seeking damages from the seven students, the Chi Phi fraternity, Cornell University, and a bar in Ithaca, New York. The specific amount of compensation has not been disclosed.

The woman reported the incident to the school authorities at the time. However, District Attorney Van Houten stated that the initial sworn statement submitted by the woman did not include any claims of group sexual assault or drug administration.

Van Houten also explained that he had not been contacted by the woman’s attorney regarding requests to review the previous decision not to prosecute or in relation to additional statements from the woman. He added that recently, the prosecutor’s office was the first to reach out to the woman’s attorney.

In a statement, Van Houten said, “To achieve justice, there are times when a case must be revisited or the investigation must be reopened if new evidence is presented. We have received community requests to reconsider criminal prosecution for the seven students, and that process has already begun.”

Cornell University: “Expulsion and Suspension for Some Offenders”

Cornell University has stated its intention to cooperate with the prosecution in the renewed investigation. The school explained that its own investigation resulted in the expulsion of some students and the suspension of others.

The Cornell chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity, where the incident took place, was closed in 2024 and remains banned from campus activities.

However, the university did not disclose how many students received expulsion or suspension. The reason provided is that, under federal privacy laws, the school cannot reveal specific disciplinary actions regarding individual students.

Cornell University stated, “Claims that the university did not take meaningful disciplinary action against those involved are untrue. Continued inaccurate claims that the penalties were insufficient may discourage survivors of sexual violence from feeling protected at school and may make it more difficult for them to come forward.”

The school explained that it conducted an internal disciplinary investigation in 2024, in which a hearing panel comprised of trained professors and staff reviewed evidence over several days. Both the woman who reported the assault and the accused students were given opportunities to testify and present evidence.

Claim That “Essay Submission Lessened Penalties”—Denied by University

The woman who filed the lawsuit asserted that Cornell University failed to prevent the sexual assault and did not respond appropriately after the incident. The complaint includes screenshots of a group chat room where fraternity members were presumed to have discussed the events of that day.

At the time, the woman, who was 20 years old, was a Cornell student and a member of a women’s fraternity. According to the complaint, she reported the incident to campus police about three weeks after it occurred, and on the same day, the Chi Phi fraternity and the seven students involved were placed on provisional suspension.

The complaint also alleges that the students were given an opportunity to reduce their penalties by submitting essays to Cornell University regarding their actions.

In response, Cornell University stated, “No one involved in the incident was ever allowed to substitute an essay for disciplinary action,” and once again emphasized that some students received expulsion and suspension.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.