Cornell Lawsuit Says Chi Phi Men Could Cut Penalties With Essays; Prosecutors Reopen Alleged Gang Rape Case

A lawsuit filed in New York has reignited scrutiny of Cornell University's handling of sexual‑misconduct complaints. A former student alleges that Cornell University allowed seven men she accuses of gang rape to mitigate their discipline by submitting essays. Her lawsuit says the seven, all in its Chi Phi fraternity, drugged and raped her in October 2024.

The case has prompted prosecutors in Tompkins County to reopen their investigation. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten confirmed he plans to present the case to a grand jury if the student participates. He said none of the seven men has been criminally charged in connection with the allegations. Cornell, citing federal privacy law, says individual disciplinary outcomes cannot be disclosed.

What the Student Says Happened

The student's lawyers filed the complaint in a Manhattan court on 14 September. She was 20 at the time and had been drinking before visiting a friend at the Chi Phi house. According to the filing, two members pressured her to snort what they called ketamine, an anaesthetic, then assaulted her. At about 1:42am, the lawsuit says, one member allegedly invited others through a Snapchat group, and more men came into the room over several hours.

Two of the seven men have responded publicly. Jeremy Saland, a lawyer for one of them, told ABC News the alleged incident 'did not happen'. Saland says the defence has scientific evidence and her own words to dispute the claims. A second man denied a role in drug use or sexual activity, but admitted sending a message quoted in the complaint. Chi Phi's national office said it condemns sexual violence but cannot discuss the allegations.

Cornell's Disciplinary Process Under Scrutiny

The complaint says Cornell suspended all seven men in November 2024 and let them 'mitigate their conduct by submitting essays.' Cornell's Title IX process, which handles sexual-misconduct complaints, involved at least 12 hearings in May 2025, the filing says. Thomas Giuffra, the student's lawyer, told CBS News New York that Cornell expelled two men. Five others, he said, got lighter penalties including suspensions, workshops, or essays.

Cornell replied on X in a 21 September statement signed by vice-president Kyle Kimball. The statement adds that the Chi Phi branch remains barred from the Ithaca campus and that Cornell 'will respond in detail through the legal process.' Cornell has not publicly disclosed the individual disciplinary outcomes, citing federal privacy law. Cornell's student newspaper printed all seven names in an editorial saying Cornell had failed her. Its editors asked why she was never told how her Title IX case ended.

Prosecutors Revisit the Case

Van Houten explained why no charges followed the student's first report. He said she did not tell police anyone had drugged her without her knowledge or that she had not consented. Giuffra countered that police had the Snapchat messages but failed to follow up with the student, while Van Houten says the messages never reached his office.

The student, who has since left Cornell, told The Cornell Daily Sun: 'I still carry the weight of its impact every day and night.' Her lawsuit accuses Cornell of failing to protect her. Cornell's 2025 survey, which had a 15 per cent participation rate, found that 35 per cent of undergraduate women reported non-consensual sexual contact.