Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused Cornell University of protecting a gang rape that allegedly occurred in a fraternity house last October.
Ocasio‑Cortez Accuses Cornell of Cover‑Up in Campus Assault
Speaking at a More Perfect University town hall in Ithaca on Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez said seven men drugged a 20‑year‑old woman with ketamine, posted her incapacitation in a group chat, and raped her for seven hours.
The civil complaint filed by the woman, identified as Jane Doe, alleges she was drugged and gang‑raped by members of the Chi Phi fraternity, and that the university expelled two students while forcing the others to write essays.
Cornell University disputes that characterization, stating it issued expulsions and suspensions and that no student was required to submit an essay as the sole penalty.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office initially declined criminal charges after reviewing Doe’s November 2024 sworn statement, which described her drug use and sexual activity as voluntary.
Van Houten announced the case has been reopened and a senior sex‑crime prosecutor is preparing the matter for a grand jury, which may consider new evidence from the civil suit.
Scott Kretzschmar, attorney for one of the accused students, said his client denies any sexual contact and welcomes the renewed probe.
Cornell said it supports the reopened investigation and maintains that the sanctions imposed were consequential, noting the Chi Phi chapter was closed and barred from campus.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the case, escalating state involvement.
Fox News Digital has requested comment from Ocasio‑Cortez’s office and Cornell University.
