This article describes allegations of sexual assault. No one named as a defendant in the lawsuit has been criminally charged, and EdTech Current is not naming the individual defendants. If you need support, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 at 800-656-4673.
Updated Oct. 18, 2026. Two years after a former Cornell student reported a sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house, her case is now being handled by New York's attorney general as special prosecutor, reviewed by a former U.S. deputy attorney general, and debated across campus. Cornell has suspended fraternity parties for the year.
Where things stand
- Criminal case: Attorney General Letitia James is leading the investigation as special prosecutor. No charges have been announced. One defendant is challenging her appointment in court.
- Reviews of Cornell: The attorney general's office is reviewing the university's response, and the trustees have hired Sally Yates to conduct an independent review that includes Title IX and Clery Act compliance.
- On campus: Interfraternity Council parties are suspended for 2026–27, and student protests continue.
- Civil lawsuit: The former student's lawsuit against Cornell, the fraternity and seven former members continues in state court.
Timeline
Alleged assault at the Chi Phi house
A then-20-year-old student later alleges in a lawsuit that multiple men drugged and sexually assaulted her for more than four hours at the fraternity house.
NPR ↗No charges; Cornell runs a Title IX process
The Tompkins County DA declines to prosecute. A three-person Title IX panel finds two of the seven men sexually assaulted her. Records later reported by The New York Times show two students were expelled, two suspended and placed on probation, one banned from campus for three years, and two given no-contact orders, educational modules and reflection papers.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Civil lawsuit filed
The former student sues Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity, seven former members, her sorority and an Ithaca nightclub in New York State Supreme Court.
Fox 5 DC ↗DA reopens the criminal investigation
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten assigns a senior sex crimes prosecutor and says the case will go to a grand jury.
NPR ↗Governor calls for an independent review
Gov. Kathy Hochul calls the allegations "nothing short of horrifying" and asks for an outside review of Cornell's response.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Cornell FAQ disputed by the DA
Cornell says it shared "all investigatory information" with the DA, including a Snapchat screenshot. The DA says his office never received the image. Cornell removes the statement on Oct. 2.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Attorney general reviews Cornell; Cornell agrees to outside review
Attorney General Letitia James opens a review of the university's handling of the case, and Hochul says Cornell has agreed to an independent review.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Attorney general named special prosecutor
Hochul signs an executive order appointing James to lead the criminal investigation. "I've lost faith in the Tompkins County DA's ability to fairly oversee it," Hochul says. Fraternity presidents vote to cancel parties that weekend.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗President: "We as an administration must do better"
In a video, President Michael Kotlikoff commits to an outside review, support for the special prosecutor, a review of fraternity culture and support for changes to state law.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Day Hall vandalized; thousands rally
Activists smash a glass door and paint messages on Day Hall, the main administration building, at about 3 a.m. That evening, thousands attend a "Justice for Survivors" rally organized by about 40 student groups.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Sally Yates to lead the trustees' review
The Board of Trustees names former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, of King & Spalding, to review the university's handling of the case and of sexual misconduct more broadly, including compliance with Title IX, the Clery Act, VAWA and New York law. She reports to a new special committee of the board. No completion date has been given.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Defendant challenges the special prosecutor
A lawyer for one of the seven men files a petition in Albany County Supreme Court asking that James's appointment be annulled or modified, alleging bias. Her office declines to comment. No ruling has been reported.
NBC News ↗Student Assembly tables a fraternity ban
After more than an hour of debate, the Student Assembly indefinitely tables a resolution to abolish the Interfraternity Council. Ithaca's Common Council passes a moratorium on student event permits.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Sit-in; Homecoming concert canceled
More than 100 people join a seven-hour sit-in in solidarity with Jane Doe. The student concert commission cancels the Homecoming concert.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Latest
Fraternity parties suspended for the year
Kotlikoff cancels parties and social events at Interfraternity Council houses for the rest of the 2026–27 year; chapters that host them face immediate emergency suspension. He also announces more staff for the Office of Civil Rights and work with New York State Police on a trauma-informed criminal investigation process.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗Latest
Rally downtown; annex parties banned
Hundreds attend an "I am Jane Doe" rally on the Ithaca Commons. Student organizations hold a town hall on sexual violence, and fraternity leaders are told parties are also banned at chapter annexes.
The Cornell Daily Sun ↗
What we don't know yet
- Whether the special prosecutor will take the case to a grand jury, and whether anyone will be charged.
- How the court will rule on the challenge to James's appointment.
- When Yates's review will finish, and whether its findings will be made public.
- The outcome of the attorney general's review of Cornell's response.
- How the defendants will respond to the civil lawsuit, and what the university decides about fraternity life after this year.
Why it matters beyond Cornell
The case puts three systems side by side that often run separately: a university's Title IX process, campus police and a county prosecutor. The trustees' review also names the Clery Act, the federal law on campus crime reporting. For what Clery requires and how institutions manage it, see our guide: How colleges manage the Clery Act in 2026.
This article will be updated as the investigations proceed.
Sources
Each timeline entry links to its source. Main sources: The Cornell Daily Sun; NPR via Connecticut Public; NBC News; Fox 5 DC.
