Civil suit and criminal review following an alleged 2024 sexual assault at Cornell’s Chi Phi house

October 19, 2024

The civil complaint alleges that the plaintiff, then a Cornell student, was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity at the chapter house on the night of October 19 into October 20, 2024. These are allegations in a civil suit; no court has made findings. The District Attorney has said the plaintiff's 2024 sworn statement gave a different account (see November 2024).2 sourcesSourcesCloseCivil complaintJane Doe v. Cornell University, et al., Index No. 161704/2026: Summons and Complaint (NYSCEF Doc. No. 1)Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, September 16, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Copy of the filed complaint published by Courthouse News Service. Filing stamp: New York County Clerk, 09/16/2026 07:05 PM.Supports: Date of the alleged assaultLocation in source: p. 58, ¶ 312occurred on the night of October 19, 2024, into the morning of OctoberState governmentExecutive Order No. 64: Appointing a Special Prosecutor to Investigate and, If Warranted, Prosecute Matters Relating to an Alleged Sexual Assault Occurring in Tompkins County on October 19-20, 2024Office of the Governor of New York, October 1, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: Executive Order No. 64 describes the assault as alleged to have occurred on October 19-20, 2024Location in source: Recitals

An incident as described in an allegation. Not a finding that it occurred.

November 2024 (exact date not given in sources)

According to the Tompkins County District Attorney, the plaintiff gave a sworn written statement to the Cornell University Police Department, and in November 2024 the department asked the District Attorney's office to review it.SourceSourceCloseLocal governmentDistrict Attorney statement re: Jane Doe v. Cornell University, et alTompkins County District Attorney, September 28, 2026Open sourceArchived copyRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: Sworn statement to Cornell University Police; review requested in November 2024Location in source: Statement

A report was made to law enforcement. Not a finding that a crime occurred.

November 2024 (exact date not given in sources)

The Tompkins County District Attorney's office decided in November 2024 not to bring criminal charges. In a September 28, 2026 statement, the District Attorney said the facts in the plaintiff's sworn statement did not meet New York's legal requirements for lack of consent. The Governor's Executive Order No. 64 states that the office declined to prosecute without speaking to the plaintiff, relying in part on a sworn statement to campus police that reportedly omitted key portions of her account.2 sourcesSourcesCloseLocal governmentDistrict Attorney statement re: Jane Doe v. Cornell University, et alTompkins County District Attorney, September 28, 2026Open sourceArchived copyRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: District Attorney's account of the November 2024 decisionLocation in source: StatementState governmentExecutive Order No. 64: Appointing a Special Prosecutor to Investigate and, If Warranted, Prosecute Matters Relating to an Alleged Sexual Assault Occurring in Tompkins County on October 19-20, 2024Office of the Governor of New York, October 1, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: Governor's account of the November 2024 decisionLocation in source: Recitals

Prosecutors chose not to bring or continue charges. Not a finding of guilt or innocence.

November 8, 2024

Cornell placed the Chi Phi fraternity's Xi Chapter under a temporary suspension order on November 8, 2024, for alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct, and later issued temporary suspensions to a number of students as interim measures, according to a statement from Cornell's interim president on November 26, 2024. Cornell said in September 2026 that the chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus.2 sourcesSourcesCloseUniversityUpdate on disturbing allegations of sexual violenceCornell University (Interim President Michael I. Kotlikoff), November 26, 2024Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: Temporary suspension order of November 8, 2024, and interim suspensions of studentsLocation in source: Statement, third paragraphUniversityDistrict Attorney's investigation of 2024 sexual assault allegationsCornell University (Vice President for University Relations), September 28, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: Chapter closed in 2024 and barred from campusLocation in source: Statement

An outcome of the institution's own process, which differs from a criminal court.

January 2025 (exact date not given in sources)

The complaint alleges that Cornell began a Title IX investigation on or about January 14, 2025, in response to the plaintiff's formal complaint, and that its Title IX office held hearings between May 2 and May 29, 2025. Cornell has said it conducted a Title IX investigation over several months, followed by a hearing before a panel of trained faculty and staff.2 sourcesSourcesCloseCivil complaintJane Doe v. Cornell University, et al., Index No. 161704/2026: Summons and Complaint (NYSCEF Doc. No. 1)Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, September 16, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Copy of the filed complaint published by Courthouse News Service. Filing stamp: New York County Clerk, 09/16/2026 07:05 PM.Supports: Start of the Title IX investigation and hearingsLocation in source: pp. 29–30, ¶¶ 183–184CORNELL commenced a Title IX investigationUniversityDistrict Attorney's investigation of 2024 sexual assault allegationsCornell University (Vice President for University Relations), September 28, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: Cornell's description of its Title IX investigation and hearingLocation in source: Statement

An investigation began. Not a finding of wrongdoing.

September 16, 2026

A civil complaint was filed in New York State Supreme Court, New York County (Jane Doe v. Cornell University, et al., Index No. 161704/2026), against Cornell University, Chi Phi fraternity entities, the plaintiff's sorority, and seven individuals. Its claims include negligence, breach of contract, and violation of the New York State Human Rights Law. Among its allegations, the complaint states that students temporarily suspended in November 2024 were “afforded the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays.”3 sourcesSourcesCloseCivil complaintJane Doe v. Cornell University, et al., Index No. 161704/2026: Summons and Complaint (NYSCEF Doc. No. 1)Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, September 16, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Copy of the filed complaint published by Courthouse News Service. Filing stamp: New York County Clerk, 09/16/2026 07:05 PM.Supports: Filing date and courtLocation in source: p. 1, filing stampFILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 09/16/2026 07:05 PMCivil complaintJane Doe v. Cornell University, et al., Index No. 161704/2026: Summons and Complaint (NYSCEF Doc. No. 1)Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, September 16, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Copy of the filed complaint published by Courthouse News Service. Filing stamp: New York County Clerk, 09/16/2026 07:05 PM.Supports: Allegation about essaysLocation in source: p. 29, ¶ 181afforded the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essaysCivil complaintJane Doe v. Cornell University, et al., Index No. 161704/2026: Summons and Complaint (NYSCEF Doc. No. 1)Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, September 16, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Copy of the filed complaint published by Courthouse News Service. Filing stamp: New York County Clerk, 09/16/2026 07:05 PM.Supports: Claims against the universityLocation in source: p. 83VIOLATION OF NEW YORK STATE HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

A lawsuit was filed. Its contents are allegations, not findings.

September 21, 2026

Cornell said its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and adjudicated the allegations under university policy, and that federal privacy law prevented it from describing individual discipline. On September 28, 2026, Cornell said the hearing panel had issued sanctions including expulsions and suspensions, and that none of the students was offered essays as a sole consequence.2 sourcesSourcesCloseUniversityStatement on lawsuit regarding 2024 sexual violence allegationsCornell University (Vice President for University Relations), September 21, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: Investigation and adjudication; privacy constraintsLocation in source: StatementUniversityDistrict Attorney's investigation of 2024 sexual assault allegationsCornell University (Vice President for University Relations), September 28, 2026Open sourceRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: Sanctions including expulsions and suspensionsLocation in source: Statement

An outcome of the institution's own process, which differs from a criminal court.

September 28, 2026

The Tompkins County District Attorney said his office had reopened the investigation and would present the case to a grand jury once appropriate charges are determined. He said the allegations in the civil complaint differed from the plaintiff's 2024 sworn statement.SourceSourceCloseLocal governmentDistrict Attorney statement re: Jane Doe v. Cornell University, et alTompkins County District Attorney, September 28, 2026Open sourceArchived copyRetrieved October 3, 2026Supports: Reopening and planned grand jury presentationLocation in source: Statement, “Re-opening the Investigation”

A previously closed investigation was reopened.