ALBANY – Governor Kathy Hochul is calling for an independent review of Cornell University’s response to allegations of sexual assault, saying there are “serious questions” about the university’s campus culture and systems for preventing and responding to such cases.
Hochul also said she supports the Tompkins County district attorney’s decision to reopen the criminal investigation. The investigation into gang rape allegations at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024 has attracted national outrage.
“The allegations in this case are nothing short of horrifying, Hochul said. “For any student to come forward after an experience like this takes extraordinary courage. No student should ever be left wondering whether the institutions meant to protect them will listen and act. I support the district attorney’s decision to reopen the criminal investigation. But there are also serious questions about Cornell’s campus culture and its systems for prevention, reporting, and response. That is why I am calling for outside counsel to conduct a transparent, independent review of the university’s response to determine whether Cornell met every obligation to protect its students and pursue justice.”
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has reopened the probe in response to a lawsuit filed by a woman who says she was sexually assaulted in 2024 by seven students after being plied with alcohol and drugs. His office will present evidence to a grand jury as he faces public questions about why the case did not result in criminal charges.
“What we are seeing unfold at Cornell University is, unfortunately, not unique,” said Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier, Executive Director of Fearless! Hudson Valley Inc. “Survivors deserve systems that meet them with safety, dignity, compassion, and belief not disbelief, delays, isolation, or processes that compound the trauma they have already experienced. Institutions have a responsibility to create survivor-centered, trauma-informed systems that prioritize the safety and well-being of survivors, not institutional reputation, or the avoidance of difficult conversations. We owe them action, accountability, and systems designed to support, not further harm them.”
The woman, identified by a pseudonym in the lawsuit, filed the complaint Sept. 16, alleging she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024 after being pressured to use ketamine, smoke marijuana and drink alcohol. She alleges she became incapacitated during the assault. The lawsuit, the reopened investigation and Cornell’s response have drawn widespread social media attention, including criticism of the university and district attorney’s office and posts questioning the allegations.
Fearless! provides free therapeutic counseling, support groups, legal services, advocacy, shelter, and other forms of support to victims of domestic violence, teen dating violence and human trafficking, and gives training to agencies, schools, businesses, law enforcement, and individuals regarding domestic violence, teen dating violence, and human trafficking. If you or someone you know might be a victim, please call the Fearless! 24-hour hotline at 845-562-5340.
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