Story summary
In October 2024, Jane Doe, a Cornell University student, filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was gang-raped by seven fraternity members at an October party. This incident sparked widespread outrage and soul-searching on the campus in Ithaca, New York, leading to a public hearing organized by Cornell's Student Assembly on Thursday. Over 100 students, faculty, and family members gathered to criticize the university’s handling of sexual assault cases and express anger over fraternity culture. Speakers shared their own experiences with sexual violence and called for changes in the Title IX process. One student, Jane Wang, revealed she had also reported a sexual assault but was disappointed by the school's response. Despite Cornell defending its investigation and imposing sanctions on involved students, many felt let down, citing increased rates of unwanted sexual conduct among undergraduate women from 23% to 35%. Meanwhile, an innocent Marine Corps sergeant with the same name as one of the accused was mistakenly targeted online after court papers were incorrectly served to his family.
Written for “Cornell Sexual Assault Controversy” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 110 other(s) covering the same event.
CBS News New York has obtained new details in the
.This
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News → obtain → the
comes as the Tompkins County district attorney said
, saying the victim's original statement does not match the lawsuit's allegations.
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statement → come → allegations
New video of frat's group Snapchat
CBS News New York has exclusively obtained additional video of the fraternity's group Snapchat conversation from the night a former Cornell student
inside the Chi Phi fraternity house.
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At 1:42 a.m. on the date of the alleged rape, a message was sent to the group chat suggesting a woman was available for sex.
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woman → allege → sex
"Shop still open?" one fraternity brother wrote later.
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brother → shop → ?
Attorney Thomas Giuffra represents the woman, identified as Jane Doe.
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"Not one of these guys was arrested.
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That I can tell you for a fact," Giuffra told CBS News New York last week.
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Scott Kretzschmar's defense attorney speaks out
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Attorney Jeremy Saland represents Scott Kretzschmar, one of the seven named in the lawsuit.
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Saland → represent → lawsuit
The complaint broadly accuses all seven of sexual assault and rape and brings a sexual battery claim against each of them.
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complaint → accuse → them
But in its detailed account, the specific act it attributes to Kretzschmar is pouring ketamine onto Jane Doe's body and snorting it.
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it → attribute → it
"You're saying he never snorted ketamine?" CBS News New York's Mahsa Saeidi asked Saland.
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Saeidi → say → Saland
"Absolutely not ... what you need to do is look at the demonstrable, objective evidence, which is a hair follicle test showing no, he had no ketamine in his system," Saland said.
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Saland → need → system
CBS News New York has not independently reviewed that test.
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Saland also says his client saw the Snapchat messages, went into the room for only a few minutes, and left.
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client → say → minutes
"She was not undressed," Saland said.
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"He didn't see her under duress.
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She wasn't having a hard time articulating any things."
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DA reopens the case
Meanwhile, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten is reopening the criminal investigation, saying in part "Jane Doe's sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped."
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she → reopen → will
Van Houten said she "described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual."
"She's barely hanging on for what these guys did to her," Giuffra told CBS News New York last week.
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Giuffra → say → her
Giuffra said Doe was traumatized and in "self preservation mode."
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Doe → say → mode
He also said the original police report is not materially different from the lawsuit.
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report → say → lawsuit
He argues investigators failed to fully follow up on evidence, including the frat's group chat.
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investigators → argue → chat
A senior prosecutor with experience in sex crimes is preparing the case for the grand jury.
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prosecutor → prepare → jury
The DA says Doe can testify and new evidence can be considered.
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evidence → say → ?
"We welcome the opportunity"
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"We welcome the opportunity and are confident, overwhelmingly so, it will resolve in the same way it already did previously, with no charges," Saland said.
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Saland → welcome → charges
Cornell University said it supports the decision of the DA.
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it → say → DA
It also said its Title IX process included months of investigation and resulted in sanctions.
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process → say → sanctions
CBS News New York is also in touch with Andrew Miltenberg, an attorney representing another defendant, Gillio Lopes.
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Miltenberg said the following in a statement to CBS News New York:
"We represent Mr. Lopes.
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He unequivocally denies the allegations against him.
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"Cornell previously investigated these allegations.
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The allegations now being made publicly differ from what was reported and investigated during that process.
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what → make → process
Mr. Lopes should be judged on the evidence, not prejudged based on allegations made in a lawsuit or repeated in the media.
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Lopes → judge → media
"We will address these issues through the appropriate legal process and will have no further comment at this time."
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The Aporia
