Well, folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. Prosecutors in New York are reopening an investigation into an alleged gang rape of a former Cornell University student after a civil lawsuit was filed earlier this month. The lawsuit claims the school did not do enough to protect the accuser, and I’ve got to say, the details are pretty disturbing. The alleged incident occurred in October 2024, and it’s taken this long for the case to get some real attention. Bless their hearts, it seems like the university and the authorities have been dragging their feet on this one.
The Tompkins County District Attorney, Matthew Van Houten, told ABC that his office plans to present the case to a grand jury after the original investigation resulted in no criminal charges. Van Houten said the allegations in the civil complaint were “dramatically different” than the woman’s statement to police two years ago. You can’t make this stuff up, folks. It seems like the authorities have been playing a game of he-said-she-said, and it’s taken a lawsuit to get them to take action.
The alleged victim, Jane Doe, claims that seven members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her at the frat house in October 2024. The complaint alleges that the fraternity members invited other members to join in on the assault, sharing a photo of a Snapchat group message as part of the suit. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now we’ve got a full-blown media frenzy on our hands.
Van Houten acknowledged that his office relied on the investigation conducted by the Cornell University Police Department and did not “independently investigate” the allegations. This is a practice he said was in line with many upstate New York counties. I’m not sure what’s more shocking, the alleged incident itself or the fact that the authorities didn’t think it was worth looking into further.
Doe’s attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, criticized the district attorney’s office for not doing more at the time, saying that opportunities to fully investigate the crimes were lost. Giuffra also said that the police report was “not materially different” from what was contained in the complaint. It’s a real mess, folks, and it’s going to take some time to untangle.
The university has responded to the lawsuit, saying that it “supports the decision of the Tompkins County District Attorney (DA) to provide an opportunity for the victim’s story … to be heard by a criminal grand jury.” Cornell also denied some of the claims made in the lawsuit, including the claim that the accused students were allowed to submit essays as a form of punishment.
The lawsuit has sparked widespread outrage, with many people taking to social media to express their support for Jane Doe and criticize the university and the authorities for their handling of the case. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has even weighed in, condemning what she described as a “culture of rape” at elite universities and institutions.
In conclusion, this is a complex and disturbing case that highlights the need for universities and authorities to take allegations of sexual assault seriously. It’s a shame that it’s taken this long for the case to get the attention it deserves, but hopefully, justice will be served in the end. And to all the folks out there who think that rape culture is just a myth, I’ve got to say, you’re not paying attention. This case is a stark reminder that we’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to protecting victims of sexual assault and holding perpetrators accountable.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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