Allegations that a Cornell University student was gang raped by a group of men at a fraternity house in 2024 have led to widespread, online speculation about what school officials, police and prosecutors did and didn't do, as well as biting criticism that no criminal charges were brought.
The woman brought the allegations back into the spotlight in a lawsuit filed last month against seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, the university and others. That led the Tompkins County district attorney, Matthew Van Houten, to reopen the criminal investigation. He initially had declined to prosecute, saying he had no evidence that the woman was raped or drugged against her will.
