Cornell University has agreed to an independent investigation into the suspected gang rape at a fraternity house, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced late Sept. 30.
"I want answers. And I want accountability," Hochul said regarding the lightning rod rape allegations in a video posted on her official X account. "I spoke with Cornell’s president today, and the university has agreed to bring in outside counsel for an independent investigation. I’ve directed my team to look at what more we can do to strengthen protections for survivors.
"This culture has to stop. And in New York, we’re going to do everything we can to stop it," Hochul added.
USA TODAY has reached out to the governor’s office and to Cornell for more information on the investigation
and what it will mean for those involved in the case. According to a recently filed lawsuit, seven members of the school’s Chi Phi frat allegedly drugged and raped a female student in October 2024.
Screenshots shared online of messages sent between suspected attackers amid the incident and the school’s apparently lenient earlier response to those involved have sparked a firestorm of controversy. An attorney for the woman who filed the suit told CBS News that Cornell expelled two of the seven fraternity members. Others, her lawsuit said, were allowed to write essays to help mitigate their punishments.
It’s unclear what exactly the move to bring in "outside counsel" for an independent investigation will mean for the case. But it marks an apparent departure in how the school has handled sexual assault allegations from students in recent years.
According to a USA TODAY exclusive investigation, the school expelled or dismissed just seven students accused of sexual violence between 2018 and 2024.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cornell to face independent inquiry into alleged gang rape, NY governor says
