Story summary
A former Cornell University student identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit in New York alleging she was drugged and gang-raped by seven fraternity members at the Chi Phi house on October 19, 2024. The woman claims she was heavily intoxicated after a night of drinking around Ithaca, New York, when she arrived at the fraternity house. During the alleged assault, one fraternity member reportedly sent a Snapchat message to fellow brothers inviting them to join in, stating there was “free p***y” upstairs.
In response to Doe's lawsuit and renewed public outcry, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced that his office is reopening an investigation into the case. The DA stated they intend to present the case to a grand jury with Jane Doe’s cooperation and reexamine whether new evidence exists that could warrant criminal charges.
The initial police investigation in 2024 did not result in any criminal charges being filed, but now the district attorney's office is considering additional evidence and testimony from Jane Doe to determine if there are grounds for prosecution. The seven men involved—Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar—are not facing charges at this time, but the grand jury will review all available evidence.
Jane Doe's attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, told media outlets that his client continues to suffer from severe trauma, including anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness nearly two years after the alleged incident. Doe has also stopped attending Cornell as a result of the attack.
Written for “Cornell Gang Rape Case Reopened” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 124 other(s) covering the same event.
The woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Cornell University fraternity members has received threats pressuring her to drop her lawsuit, her attorney said.
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attorney → allege → lawsuit
Thomas Giuffra told CNN’s “State of the Union” that people attempting to unmask his client’s identity had also targeted at least three women mistakenly identified as her.
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people → tell → her
The former Cornell student is identified as Jane Doe in court documents.
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student → identify → documents
Doe filed a lawsuit last month against Cornell and seven Chi Phi fraternity members, alleging she was sexually assaulted over the course of hours on Oct. 19 and 20, 2024, while she was under the influence of ketamine, alcohol and marijuana.
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she → file → ketamine
The suit has sparked renewed scrutiny of how the university and local authorities handled the allegations.
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university → spark → allegations
Gov. Kathy Hochul last week appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to consider whether criminal charges are appropriate.
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charges → appoint → prosecutor
Cornell police spoke to witnesses and received anonymous tips about an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in the first weeks of its investigation two years ago.
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police → speak → investigation
But the local prosecutor did not review the additional information before deciding not to bring charges.
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prosecutor → review → charges
Police records also show that university police made a drug-related arrest at a fraternity house 22 hours before the woman alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted there.
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she → show → house
Michael Kotlikoff said in a video message Saturday that what Doe alleges is “deeply disturbing” and raises questions about the investigation that followed.
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that → say → investigation
Notable quote
It’s not enough to not rape somebody.
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It → ’ → somebody
Because what that girl could’ve really used that night and what she didn’t find was one good man.
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she → use → what
Brian Recker, a former pastor with over 450,000 followers on Instagram
As the Cornell case continues to draw national attention, parents online are sharing how they’re teaching their children to challenge a culture that allows sexual violence to persist.
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violence → continue → culture
Poll: Latino voters swing away from Trump and Republicans
Latino voters helped propel Donald Trump back to the White House.
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voters → swing → House
Now, they are turning on him, according to a new NBC News/Telemundo poll — a shift that gives Democrats a major opportunity to capitalize in midterm elections that could hinge on states and districts with sizable Latino populations.
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that → turn → populations
Like the broader electorate, Latino voters are racked by major concerns about high prices and Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement.
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voters → rack → enforcement
The president’s approval rating sits at 27% among Latino voters.
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rating → sit → voters
Two-thirds say his administration’s deportation policies have gone too far and three-quarters disapprove of how he has handled the economy and the cost of living
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he → say → living
And Democrats have a 24-point lead on whom Latino voters want to see in control of Congress, 59%-35%.
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voters → have → Congress
Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel called on Democratic lawmakers to set aside plans to impeach President Donald Trump if they win a majority in the House, pushing them instead to pass an ethics reform package.
Asked directly on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” whether Democrats should take up impeachment in January if they take the House gavel, Emanuel said: “Short answer: No, because it’s not going anywhere, and it’s going to be a food fight, and it’s just going to be we return to the politics of fighting.”
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said in a separate “Meet the Press” interview that he is considering a run for president in 2028.
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he → call → 2028
“My plans right now are to run for re-election, but as I’ve said before, if I don’t think I can be effective in the Senate anymore, I would consider it,” Kennedy said.
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Kennedy → run → it
Politics in brief
- ‘Get out and vote’: Trump rallied Saturday for Republicans in Ohio’s competitive races for Senate and governor, predicting that the party will defy expectations in a choppy midterm election climate.
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party → get → climate
The estranged wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton urged voters to stand behind all Republicans in a new ad, though she neglected to name Paxton directly.
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she → urge → Paxton
Trump appeared to share Sen. Tom Cotton’s cellphone number in a social media post about the stalled daylight saving bill.
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Trump → appear → bill
Search for 6 aboard medical jet enters second day after crash near Nantucket
Authorities declined to speculate on what caused a medical evacuation jet to crash off the coast of Nantucket on Saturday morning, as crews continue to search for the six missing passengers.
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crews → enter → passengers
The U.S. Coast Guard found a debris field approximately 20 miles off the coast of Nantucket.
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Guard → find → Nantucket
Crews have searched roughly 2,840 square miles over more than 53 hours, said Rear Adm. Matt Lake, commander of the Coast Guard’s Northeast District.
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Lake → search → District
Our crews are employing fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, boats and cutters to search the area,” Lake said.
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Lake → employ → area
He added that authorities hope to use sonar to search the seabed.
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authorities → add → seabed
A source familiar with the matter told NBC News the Bermudians were a patient and the patient’s son.
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Bermudians → tell → News
Governor says Tennessee’s prisons chief is resigning after failed execution of Christa Pike
The head of Tennessee’s prison system is resigning after the failed execution of Christa Pike, Gov. Bill Lee announced Saturday.
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Lee → say → Pike
In response to the resignation news, Pike’s attorneys told NBC News that Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada’s departure was “justified, but it does nothing to help Christa now.”
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it → tell → Christa
“What happened to her Wednesday reflects a systemic failure that goes far beyond any one person,” they said.
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they → happen → person
Pike remained unconscious in a hospital as of Friday.
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Pike → remain → Friday
Pike has remained unconscious and on a ventilator at a hospital in the four days since her failed execution in Tennessee, and her prognosis might not be known for days more, one of her lawyers said Sunday.
Taylor Swift pops into ‘SNL’ to joke around with host Dakota Johnson
Taylor Swift makes surprise appearance during 'SNL'
Pop music icon Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” joining her friend and the episode’s host, Dakota Johnson, for some laughs.
Swift appeared onstage during Johnson’s opening monologue to address her role as the movie star’s “literal therapist,” in Johnson’s words.
The pop star made another appearance during the curtain call, bringing out a blue and white cake for Johnson’s birthday.
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star → remain → birthday
In case you missed it
- Early indications suggest the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain and trying to seize control of an Israel-bound plane acted alone, multiple U.S. officials briefed on the investigation and a former Israeli security official told NBC News.
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officials → miss → News
- A dual U.K.-Iranian national arrested on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at a U.S.-run military base in England has been released on bail, authorities said.
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authorities → arrest → bail
- Yemen’s Houthis say they attacked an Aramco oil facility in Riyadh with missiles and drones.
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they → say → missiles
- A 12-year-old girl was killed and three others were injured when gunfire erupted amid an apparent dispute over parking at a Baltimore park Saturday, officials said.
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officials → kill → park
The Aporia
