Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten is reopening an investigation into a 2024 alleged gang rape at Cornell University. He told ABC News his office plans to take the case to a grand jury soon. This move comes nearly two years after prosecutors first declined to file criminal charges.
The decision follows a new civil lawsuit filed on September 14. The suit names Jane Doe as the victim and lists seven current or former students as defendants. It also targets Cornell University, several Greek organizations, and a local bar. The alleged assault took place at the Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024.
Van Houten stated that the new lawsuit contains facts that differ from the original police report. He noted the original statement did not mention the victim being drugged or incapacitated. According to the Washington Examiner, the district attorney said his office relied on the university police investigation and did not run an independent probe at the time.
The civil complaint paints a much darker picture than the initial police account. It alleges the victim was pressured into taking ketamine before the attack. According to the suit, the men snorted the drug from her body and compelled her to do the same from theirs. One defendant, Johnathan Newell, is accused of inviting others to join the assault.
A screenshot from a Snapchat group chat dated 1:42 a.m. is included in the filing. The message allegedly read “free p*y” regarding the victim.
The seven men named in the suit are Matthew Ingalls, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. They were suspended temporarily but allowed to keep their education. The university offered them a chance to “mitigate conduct” by writing essays. Cornell has denied these specific claims about the essays.
The victim’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, says authorities missed a key piece of evidence. He claims a Snapchat group chat was given to officials in 2024 but never reviewed.
He argues that the victim was not questioned by someone with the right skills. “In my experience, speaking with an abuse survivor requires delicacy, understanding and specialized training,” Giuffra said. He noted that Ms. Doe was never contacted by a detective or district attorney with that training.
Van Houten admits his team did not “independently investigate” the incident back then. He said the allegations in the new lawsuit are “dramatically different” from the 2024 statement. The district attorney wants to see if new evidence exists that could change the outcome. Per the New York Post, the grand jury review will happen with Jane Doe’s cooperation.
While the legal case restarts, public pressure is growing online. Toby Morton, a former South Park writer, launched a website called “TheCornell7.org”. He posted an Instagram message on Sunday addressing the seven men by name. Morton warned them that “accountability is coming” for their actions.
Morton said he owns variations of their domain names and is finding where they work. He also plans to target university staff who gave the men a break. “I have no limits. No boundaries,” Morton wrote. He called himself a satirist but said that makes him “more dangerous” because he has no rules to follow.
The district attorney has not said when the grand jury will meet. The lawsuit remains the main focus as prosecutors look for new evidence. The original investigation ended without charges, but the civil suit has changed the conversation.
