Details emerge in case of former Cornell student alleging gang rape by fraternity members

September 28, 2026 / 2:33 PM EDT / CBS News

New details are emerging in the case of a former Cornell University student who claims she was allegedly drugged and gang-raped for multiple hours inside a fraternity house in October 2024.

The woman — identified only as Jane Doe, who was 20 at the time of the alleged incident — recently filed a civil lawsuit against seven then-Chi Phi fraternity members and the university, claiming they failed to protect her and prevent the alleged assault. While Cornell conducted an internal investigation, no criminal charges were brought against the accused at the time.

The Tompkins County District Attorney's Office confirmed Monday that it will be reopening the criminal investigation amid pressure from the community and will bring the evidence to a grand jury. The DA said the woman's sworn statement from November 2024 was different from what she alleges in the civil lawsuit, while her attorney claims investigators never followed up on her allegations.

Here is what we know about the case so far:

In the lawsuit against the university and the then-fraternity members, the woman alleges she visited a friend at Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity house while she was already…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/