{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DigitalDocument","altText":"EXHIBIT(S) - 3. CNN Article","alternateName":"NYSCEF-case-20f2fbf9d925-000006.pdf","caption":"NYSCEF document #6 | Filed: 2026-10-07 | Filed by: MILTENBERG, ANDREW T Filed:  Received: | Docket status: Processed Confirmation Notice | Case: Lopes v. Hochul (Cornell 7 Lopes Against Special Prosecutor Assignment Tish James) | Source: NYSCEF","contentUrl":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/446/raw","datePublished":"2026-10-16T19:59:24+00:00","description":"NYSCEF document #6 | Filed: 2026-10-07 | Filed by: MILTENBERG, ANDREW T Filed:  Received: | Docket status: Processed Confirmation Notice | Case: Lopes v. Hochul (Cornell 7 Lopes Against Special Prosecutor Assignment Tish James) | Source: NYSCEF","encodingFormat":"application/pdf","identifier":"446","isAccessibleForFree":true,"machineReadable":{"json":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/446/index.json","markdown":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/446/index.md"},"name":"EXHIBIT(S) - 3. CNN Article","ocrStatus":"ready","ocrText":"--- Page 1 ---\nExhibit 3 \nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 6\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 2 ---\nUS > CRIME& JUSTICE \"12 MIN READ\nNewYork prosecutors\nreopen\ninvestigation\nafter\nstudent\nfiles\nlawsuit\nover alleged\ngang rape at\nCornell\nUniversity\nUPDATEDSEP29,2026\n\n--- Page 3 ---\nUS\nsubscribe\nProsecutors\nin NewYork are reopening\nan investigation\ninto\nan alleged\ngang rape of a\nformer\nCornell\nUniversity\nstudent\nafter\nthe womanfiled\na civil\nlawsuit\nthis\nmonth\nclaiming\nthe school\ndid not do enough to protect\nher.\nA grand jury\nwill\nreview\nthe\ncase to see if any charges\nare warranted\nafter\nthe\noriginal\ninvestigation\ninto\nthe\nalleged\n2024 assault\nresulted\nin no criminal\ncharges,\nTompkins\nCounty District\nAttorney\nMatthew Van Houten said Monday. He said\nthe allegations\nin\nthe\ncivil\ncomplaint\nthis\nmonth were significantly\ndifferent\nfrom the woman's statement\nto police\ntwo years\nago.\n\"The decision\nmadein November of 2024 that\nthe evidence\ndid not support\nthe\nfiling\nof\ncriminal\ncharges was legally\ncorrect,\"\nVan Houten\nsaid\nin a statement\nprovided\nto CNN.\n\"At the same time,\nI recognize\nthe\nreality\nthat\nit can take years\nof therapy\nand healing\nfor\nvictims\nof sexual\nassaults\nto fully\nprocess and understand\nwhat happened\nto them.\"\nThe grand jury\nwill\nconsider\nthe testimony\nof the former\nstudent,\nidentified\nas Jane Doe,\nas well\nas any new evidence\nraised\nby the\nallegations\nof the\ncivil\ncomplaint,\nVan Houten\nsaid.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\n--- Page 4 ---\nThe disturbing\nallegations\nabout\nthe assault\nof Doe have already\nsparked\nwidespread\ncriticism\nand again put a spotlight\non how universities\nhandle student\nclaims\nof sexual\nassault.\nRELATEDARTICLE\nAn imperfect\nprocess:\nHowcampuses deal with\nsexual\nassault\n9 MIN READ\nIn the\ncivil\ncomplaint,\nfiled\nSeptember\n16, Doe alleges\nseven membersof Cornell's\nChi\nPhi fraternity\ndrugged and sexually\nassaulted\nher\nat the\nfrat\nhouse in October\n2024 and\ninvited\nother\nfraternity\nmembersin a group chat\nto join\nthe\nassault,\nsharing\nthe photo\nof a Snapchat group message as part\nof the\nsuit.\nNone of the fraternity\nmembershave been criminally\ncharged.\nThe complaint\nalleges\ntemporary\nsuspensions\nwere issued\nfor\nthe seven named students,\nwho it said \"were\nafforded\nthe opportunity\nto mitigate\ntheir\nconduct\nby submitting\nessays\"\nto the\nuniversity\n- a claim\nCornell\ndenied.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\n--- Page 5 ---\nThe Ithaca\nPolice\nDepartment\nsaid\nin a statement\nMondaythat\nit was \"disturbed\"\nto\nhear about\nthe 2024 allegations.\nThe department\nnoted\nit learned\nabout\nthe alleged\nincident\nonly\nrecently\nthrough\nthe media and said\nthe incident\nwas not reported\nto the\nagency.\nCNNhas reached out\nto the\nCornell\nUniversity\nPolice\nDepartment,\nthe Chi Phi fraternity\nand others\nnamed in the lawsuit.\n\u00b7-\u00b7. 1\n..\n----.,,\nThe Chi Phi fraternity\nhouse at Cornell\nUniversity\non Monday. (Heather Ainsworth/AP)\n\n--- Page 6 ---\nThe 101-page complaint\nnames more than a dozen defendants,\nincluding\nthe seven\nfraternity\nmembersfrom\n2024,\nCornell\nUniversity,\nand the Chi Phi fraternity.\nAllegations\ninclude\nnegligence,\nbreach of contract,\nsexual\nassault\nand battery\nand\nviolations\nof NewYork's HumanRights\nLaw.\nRELATEDARTICLE\nCampusesreopen under Trump administration\nsexual\nassault\nrules\ncritics\nsay protect\nthe accused more than\nsurvivors\n12 MIN READ\nThe lawsuit\nsays Doe was 20 years\nold and had been drinking\nat her sorority\nhouse and\na bar before\nshe arrived\nat the Chi Phi house to visit\na friend,\nwho was one of the\nfraternity\nmemberson the night\nof October\n19, 2024.\nADVERTISEMENT\nAccording\nto the\nsuit,\nDoe had already\nconsumed about\n10 standard\ndrinks\nwithin\nthe\npast\nthree\nhours when she arrived\nat the fraternity\nhouse.\n\n--- Page 7 ---\nand pressured\nher\ninto\nsnorting\na substance\nthey described\nas ketamine,\nand that\nshe\nwas then\nsexually\nassaulted\nwhile\n\"incapable\nof consent.\"\nAt roughly\n1:42\na.m.,\none of the menallegedly\nsent\na message to the\nfraternity's\nSnapchat group chat - titled\n\"Chi\nPhi Actives\"\n- stating\nthere\nwas \"free\np*ssy\"\nupstairs.\nBy doing\nthis,\nthe\nsuit\nalleges,\none of the accused \"encouraged\nother\nXI CHAPTER\nmembers to join\nin on the gang rape of plaintiff.\"\nADVERTISEMENT\nA photo\nof a portion\nof the\nchat\nis included\nin the\nfiling.\nMultiple\nfraternity\nmembers\nthen entered\nthe room, where the complaint\nalleges\nthey pressured\nDoe into\ntaking\nmore ketamine\nand subjected\nher to an hourslong\nassault\nthat\ncontinued\nuntil\napproximately\n5:45 a.m.\nThose exchanges are going\nto be a critical\npiece\nof evidence\nin this\ncase, former\nfederal\nprosecutor\nBerit\nBerger\ntold\nCNN's Anderson\nCooper Monday. \"One has to think,\nif we\nwere actually\ndoing\nthis\ninvestigation\ntwo years\nago, what else would be available\nthat\nmay not be available\nnow? What witnesses\nhave graduated\nor moved away or lost\nrecollection\nof this? What other\nsort\nof digital\ntrail\nhas now not been preserved?\"\n\n--- Page 8 ---\ncomplaint\nsays.\nCornell\nsuspended the Chi Phi chapter\nand the seven accused\nstudents,\n\"who were afforded\nthe opportunity\nto mitigate\ntheir\nconduct\nby submitting\nessays\nto\nCornell,\"\naccording\nto the lawsuit,\nwhich\nCornell\ndenied.\nRELATEDARTICLE\nOhio State\nreaches $100 million\nsettlement\nwith\nnearly 300 sex abuse\nsurvivors\n2 MIN READ\nThe complaint\nfaults\nCornell\nfor\nfailing\nto properly\ndiscipline\nafter\nthe\nassault,\n\"all\nthe\nwhile\nsheltering\nthem from speaking\nto law enforcement,\nand silencing\nvictims.\"\nADVERTISEMENT\nCornell's\n\"conduct\nwas so outrageous,\nshocking,\ndespicable,\nand contemptible\nthat\nit\nexceeds the reasonable\nbounds of decency as measured by what the average member\nof the community would tolerate\nand demonstrates\nan utter\ndisregard\nfor\nthe\nconsequences that would follow,\"\nthe lawsuit\nsays.\nThe complaint\nis seeking\na jury\ntrial\nto determine\nmonetary\ndamages.\n\n--- Page 9 ---\nfrom the\nallegations\nin the lawsuit.\n\"Jane\nDoe's statement\ndescribed\nher participation\nin drug use and sexual\nconduct\nas\nvoluntary,\nconscious,\nand consensual,\"\nVan Houten\nsaid.\nADVERTISEMENT\nHis office\nhas not released\nthe\nfull\npolice\nreport.\nCNNhas asked Jane Doe's attorney\nfor\na response\nto Van Houten's\nstatement\nand for\na copy of her complete\n2024 police\nstatement.\nDuring\na contentious\ninterview\nMonday, CNN's Jake Tapper pressed Van Houten on why\nthere\nwasn't\na more expansive\ninvestigation\nfrom law enforcement\nor the DA's office\nafter\nthe\ninitial\nreport\nwas madein 2024.\n\"We can't\nchange what happened\nin the past\nas much as the community\nis outraged,\"\nVan Houten\nsaid. \"My job under the NewYork State\nConstitution\nis to apply\nthe penal\nlaw of NewYork State. Weare constrained\nby that\nlaw. Whether you agree with\nit,\nwhether\nyou think\nsomeone's\nconduct\nis morally\nrepugnant\nor vulgar\nor disgusting.\nI'm\nstill\nconstrained\nby the law.\"\n\n--- Page 10 ---\nVan Houten\ntells\nCNNhe is \"constrained\nby the law.\"\n0:55\nThe DAsaid\nthe main difference\nbetween the\ninitial\nDoe statement\nand the\ncivil\ncomplaint\nis that\nthe lawsuit\n\"omits\nany reference\nthat\nJane Doe consented\nto the sexual\ncontact.\"\nADVERTISEMENT\nHe acknowledged\nthat\nthe text message screen\nshots between the men\"were\ncompletely\nvulgar\nand disgusting,\nbut they had nothing\nto do with her consent.\"\n\n--- Page 11 ---\ncomplaint,\nthat\nthe fraternity\nbrothers\nsent each other.\nVan Houten said\nthat\nhis team did not see the\ntext\nmessages evidence\ninitially.\n\"They were not part\nof our initial\nanalysis,\nbut\nI understand\nthat\nCornell\nhad them, and\nthey\nsent them to our team,\"\nhe said.\n'Disgusting\nand morally\nreprehensible'\nWhile\nthe behavior\nof certain\nChi Phi fraternity\nmembers was \"without\nquestion\ndisgusting\nand morally\nreprehensible,\"\nthe\ndistrict\nattorney\nsaid\nmultiple\nprosecutors\nand criminal\ninvestigators\ndetermined\nthe events\nas described\nin Doe's 2024 account\ndid not constitute\na crime.\nADVERTISEMENT\nNothing\nin Doe's\noriginal\nstatement\nindicated\nshe was drugged without\nconsent\nor had\nsex against\nher\nwill,\nVan Houten\nsaid.\nAccording\nto the\naccuser's\nstatement,\n\"each time\nJane Doe asked to stop\nthe sexual\nconduct,\nthe sexual\nconduct\nstopped.\"\n\"Thus,\nwith\nno evidence\nof a 'lack\nof consent,'\ncriminal\ncharges\nsimply\ncould not be\nsustained,\"\nthe\ndistrict\nattorney\nwrote.\n\n--- Page 12 ---\ntheir\nown conduct\nbecause they were drugged without\nconsent,\nVan Houten\nsaid.\nBut\nhe said\nexcerpts\nfrom Jane Doe's 2024 statement\nindicated\nshe took drugs\nvoluntarily.\nSo even if a person\nis heavily\nintoxicated,\nit would not count\nas \"mental\nincapacitation\"\nas long\nas a person consented\nto taking\nthe\nsubstance.\nADVERTISEMENT\nThat's\na \"deficiency\nin NewYork law,\"\nBerger\ntold\nCNN. \"There\nis this\ngap in NewYork\nlaw where if somebody voluntarily\ntook\ndrugs,\ndrank\nalcohol\nto the point\nthat\nthey\nwere incapacitated,\nin many circumstances,\nthat's\nnot enough to prove that\nthey\ndidn't\nconsent,\"\nBerger\nsaid.\nBut Doe's\nattorney,\nThomas P. Giuffra,\ntold\nTapper Mondayhe doesn't\nbelieve\nthere\nis a\n\"loophole\"\nin NewYork law.\n\"If\nthere\nwas, think\nabout\nit\nlogically:\nIt would mean\nanybody could go trolling\na bar looking\nfor\na womanwho's\nintoxicated,\nrape them, and\nget away with\nit,\"\nhe said.\n\n--- Page 13 ---\nDoe's attorney\ntells\nCNNhe doesn't\nbelieve\nthere\nis a \"loophole\"\nin NY law.\n0:18\nHe believes\nthe\ninitial\ninvestigation\nwas inadequate.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\"It\nis challenging\nfor meto understand how a thorough\ncriminal\ninvestigation\ncould\nhave been conducted when she never spoke with anyone other\nthan the\nofficer\nwho\ntook her original\ncomplaint,\"\nGiuffra\ntold CNNin an earlier\nstatement.\n\n--- Page 14 ---\ninvestigators\nfrom the Tompkins County District\nAttorney s\nOffice\nor any investigators\ntrained\nin interviewing\nrape survivors,\"\nGiuffra\nsaid.\n\"If\nthe\nDistrict\nAttorney's\noffice\nis now considering\nprosecution,\nI believe\nthat\nit\nis a step\nin the\nright\ndirection,\nalbeit\na late\none.\"\nGiuffra\ntold\nTapper that\nDoe's\nlife\nhas been ruined\nfollowing\nthe \"nightmare\"\nof two\nyears\nago.\nADVERTISEMENT\nHe stressed\nthe\nalleged\nincident\nwas not consensual.\n\"I don't know how anybody who was grossly\nintoxicated\nand drugged can consent\nto\nanything,\"\nGiuffra\nsaid.\nIf this\nwas consensual\nand she wanted\nto participate,\nhe said,\n\"she wouldn't\nhave gone to the police\nin the\nfirst\nplace.\"\nHe added that\nDoe wants\naccountability.\nDespite\nnot being\nin\ncollege\nanymore,\n\"she\nis\nbarely\nhanging\non.\"\nGiuffra\nrevealed\nDoe was not allowed\nto leave\nschool\nand heal\nafter\nthe\nalleged\nincident.\n\n--- Page 15 ---\n\"Her parents,\nwho had paid thousands and thousands\nof dollars\nfor her to attend\nCornell,\ntried\nto get their\nmoney\nback,\"\nGiuffra\nalleged.\n\"Cornell\nsaid,\n'No, you have to\nstay in\nschool.'\nSo she spent an entire\nsemester\nin the campus where she saw these\nguys\non a fairly\nregular\nbasis.\nAnd that\nis just\nhorrifying\nto me.\"\nCNNhas reached out to Cornell\nfor comment on the\nallegation\nDoe was not allowed\nto\nwithdraw\nwithout\nfinancial\npenalty.\nCornell\nrebuts\nclaims\nabout\nlax punishment\nCornell\nsaid\nin a statement\nMonday it \"supports\nthe\ndecision\nof the Tompkins County\nDistrict\nAttorney\n(DA) to provide\nan opportunity\nfor\nthe\nvictim's\nstory\n...\nto be heard by\na criminal\ngrand jury.\"\nADVERTISEMENT\n\n--- Page 16 ---\nIn a September 21 statement,\nCornell\ndeclined\nto confirm\nthe individual\ndisciplinary\noutcomes,\nciting\nfederal\nstudent\nprivacy\nlaw. The school\nsaid violations\nof university\npolicy\n\"could\nlead\nto sanctions\nup to and including\nsuspension\nor expulsion,\"\nadding,\n\"We will\nrespond in\ndetail\nthrough\nthe legal\nprocess.\"\nRELATEDARTICLE\nCornell\nsuspends\nfraternity\nparties\nand social\nevents\nafter\nallegations\nof\n.\nsexual\nassault\nand drug-laced\ndrinks\n2 MIN READ\nDoe's\nattorney\nsaid\nCornell\nexpelled\ntwo of the seven accused\nstudents\nwhile\nthe\nothers\nreceived\nlesser\npunishment,\nincluding\nsuspensions,\nworkshops\nor written\nassignments.\nCornell\ncountered\nthat\nclaim\nMonday, saying\nthere\nwas a range\nof sanctions\nfor\nthe\naccused\nstudents,\nincluding\nsuspensions\nand expulsions.\nBut \"none of the individuals\ncharged were offered\nthe opportunity\nto write\nessays\nas a sole consequence of their\ninvolvement,\"\nthe university\nsaid.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\n--- Page 17 ---\ncriminal\nproceeding,\nand a panel\nof trained\nfaculty\nand staff\nheard evidence\nover\nmultiple\ndays,\nthe school\nsaid.\n\"Any suggestion\nthat\nthe University\ndid not impose consequential\npunishments\nfor\nthose\ninvolved\nis\nfalse,\"\nthe statement\nread.\n\"A continuation\nof the\nfalse\nnarrative\nthat\nthere\nwere minimal\nconsequences in this\ncase\nis irresponsible,\nwill\nmake survivors\nfeel\nless\nsafe and supported,\nand will\nperpetuate\nthe underreporting\nof sexual\nassault.\"\nThe school\nalso\nsaid\nit barred\nthe Xi chapter\nof the Chi Phi fraternity\nfrom\nits campus\nand launched\na sexual\nassault\ntask\nforce\nshortly\nafter\nthe\nincident,\nadding\nit has\nimplemented\nseveral\nof the group's\nrecommendations.\nAn attorney\nfor one of the accused fraternity\nbrothers\ndenied\nany wrongdoing\nby his\nclient.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\"Even the\nDistrict\nAttorney's\nOffice,\nled by a chief\nprosecutor\nwith\nthe duty\nto pursue\njustice\nand uphold\nthe rule\nof law without\nbias\nor favor,\nfiled\nno charges\nagainst\n(him)\nbecause what she alleged\ndid not happen,\"\nattorney\nJeremy Saland\nsaid\nin a statement\nto CNN. He said\nhis\nclient\n\"never\nsexually\nassaulted\nor even touched the\nplaintiff\nin any\nway.\"\n\n--- Page 18 ---\n\"The allegations\nnow being madepublicly\ndiffer\nfrom what was reported\nand\ninvestigated\nduring\nthat\nprocess,\"\nattorney\nAndrew Miltenberg\nsaid\nin a statement\nto\nCNN. \"We will\naddress\nthese\nissues through\nthe appropriate\nlegal\nprocess and will\nhave\nno further\ncomment at this\ntime.\"\nCNNis working\nto determine\nif the other namedfraternity\nbrothers\nhave\nrepresentation.\nJane Doe speaks out\nIn a statement\nto CNN, Doe said she went to Cornell\n\"with\ngreat\nhope and promise\nfor\na\ngood education.\"\n\"What\nI experienced\nfrom those who raped mein the fraternity\nwas the worst\nexperience\nof mylife.\nI was brutalized\nand it injured\nmephysically\nbut perhaps more\nimportantly,\nemotionally,\"\nDoe said.\n\"I want to recover\nfrom\nthis\ntrauma but\nit\nis\nextremely\ndifficult.\nIt\naffects\nevery\naspect\nof mylife.\nIt will\nhaunt meand be part\nof me\nthe\nrest\nof my\nlife.\"\nAbout 35%of undergraduate\nwomenat Cornell\nUniversity\nreported\nexperiencing\n\"nonconsensual\nsexual\ncontact\"\nduring\ntheir\ntime\nat the\nschool,\na 2025 survey\nconducted by the university\nfound.\nThat was an increase\nfrom 23%in the\nuniversity's\n2023 survey.\nThe lawsuit\n- and along with\nthe lack\nof criminal\ncharges and accusations\nof\ninadequate\ndiscipline\n- has drawn a wave of outrage.\nUSRep. Alexandria\nOcasio-Cortez,\na Democrat from NewYork City,\ncondemned what\nshe described\nas a \"culture\nof rape\"\nat\nelite\nuniversities\nand institutions\nduring\na\nSunday town hall\nin Ithaca,\nwhere Cornell\nis located.\n\n--- Page 19 ---\nlawsuit.\nThat means it was normal\nto them,\nthat means it was acceptable\nto them.\nThis\nis a culture,\nthis\nis norms, these\nare practices,\nand what we must do is understand\nthat\nwe cannot\nprotect\nthose\nspaces anymore.\"\nAOCcalls\nout Cornell\nUniversity\nover alleged\n...\n2:38\nActor\nFlorence\nPugh also posted an impassioned\nresponse\nin a lengthy\nInstagram\npost\nSunday, writing,\n\"I'm\nno longer\ntired\n- I'm enraged by schools\nprotecting\nboys,\nin fear\nof\ntheir\nfutures\nbeing wrecked.\"\n\"What about\nthe\nlife\nthat\nthose\ngirls\nthen have to endure,\nwith\nthe knowledge\nthat\nhis\nreputation\nis more precious\nthan her truth?\"\nshe added.\n\n--- Page 20 ---\nKnow that womeneverywhere\nare here\nto hold you and help you on your\nhealing\njourney,\"\nshe wrote.\nMeanwhile,\nIthaca\nMayor Robert\nG. Cantelmo on Monday called\nfor\na pause on Cornell\nUniversity's\nGreek life\nand student\ngroup gatherings.\nIn a statement\non Instagram,\nthe mayor said\nthe moratorium\nwould be in place\n\"until\nsuch time\nthat\nthe University\nconducts\nan accounting\nof its\nprotocols\nto prevent\nand\nprosecute\ncrimes\nof sexual\nviolence\nand publicly\nreleases\nnew standards\nand practices\nto keep our community\nsafe.\"\nCNNreached out\nto the university\nfor commenton the mayor's\nproposed moratorium,\nwhich\nrequires\napproval\nfrom\nthe town council.\nThis story\nhas been updated with\nadditional\ninformation.\nHelp is available:\nFor help in\nthe\nUS, call\nthe National\nSexual Assault\nHotline\nat 1-800-\n656-4673 or chat 24/7 on online.rainn.org.\nCNN's SammyLindeH and Avni Trivedi\ncontributed\nto this\nreport.\nUp next\nCornell\nsays ex-US Deputy Attorney\nGeneral\nSally\nYates\nwill\ninvestigate\nschool's\nresponse\nto Jane Doe's rape allegations\n3 MIN READ\nMood at Cornell\nUniversity\ndarkens\namid mounting\npressure\non investigators\nof\nalleged\nsex assault\n6 MIN READ","text":"--- Page 1 ---\nExhibit 3 \nFILED: ALBANY COUNTY CLERK 10/07/2026 06:21 PM\nINDEX NO. 911974-26\nNYSCEF DOC. NO. 6\nRECEIVED NYSCEF: 10/07/2026\n\n--- Page 2 ---\nUS > CRIME& JUSTICE \"12 MIN READ\nNewYork prosecutors\nreopen\ninvestigation\nafter\nstudent\nfiles\nlawsuit\nover alleged\ngang rape at\nCornell\nUniversity\nUPDATEDSEP29,2026\n\n--- Page 3 ---\nUS\nsubscribe\nProsecutors\nin NewYork are reopening\nan investigation\ninto\nan alleged\ngang rape of a\nformer\nCornell\nUniversity\nstudent\nafter\nthe womanfiled\na civil\nlawsuit\nthis\nmonth\nclaiming\nthe school\ndid not do enough to protect\nher.\nA grand jury\nwill\nreview\nthe\ncase to see if any charges\nare warranted\nafter\nthe\noriginal\ninvestigation\ninto\nthe\nalleged\n2024 assault\nresulted\nin no criminal\ncharges,\nTompkins\nCounty District\nAttorney\nMatthew Van Houten said Monday. He said\nthe allegations\nin\nthe\ncivil\ncomplaint\nthis\nmonth were significantly\ndifferent\nfrom the woman's statement\nto police\ntwo years\nago.\n\"The decision\nmadein November of 2024 that\nthe evidence\ndid not support\nthe\nfiling\nof\ncriminal\ncharges was legally\ncorrect,\"\nVan Houten\nsaid\nin a statement\nprovided\nto CNN.\n\"At the same time,\nI recognize\nthe\nreality\nthat\nit can take years\nof therapy\nand healing\nfor\nvictims\nof sexual\nassaults\nto fully\nprocess and understand\nwhat happened\nto them.\"\nThe grand jury\nwill\nconsider\nthe testimony\nof the former\nstudent,\nidentified\nas Jane Doe,\nas well\nas any new evidence\nraised\nby the\nallegations\nof the\ncivil\ncomplaint,\nVan Houten\nsaid.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\n--- Page 4 ---\nThe disturbing\nallegations\nabout\nthe assault\nof Doe have already\nsparked\nwidespread\ncriticism\nand again put a spotlight\non how universities\nhandle student\nclaims\nof sexual\nassault.\nRELATEDARTICLE\nAn imperfect\nprocess:\nHowcampuses deal with\nsexual\nassault\n9 MIN READ\nIn the\ncivil\ncomplaint,\nfiled\nSeptember\n16, Doe alleges\nseven membersof Cornell's\nChi\nPhi fraternity\ndrugged and sexually\nassaulted\nher\nat the\nfrat\nhouse in October\n2024 and\ninvited\nother\nfraternity\nmembersin a group chat\nto join\nthe\nassault,\nsharing\nthe photo\nof a Snapchat group message as part\nof the\nsuit.\nNone of the fraternity\nmembershave been criminally\ncharged.\nThe complaint\nalleges\ntemporary\nsuspensions\nwere issued\nfor\nthe seven named students,\nwho it said \"were\nafforded\nthe opportunity\nto mitigate\ntheir\nconduct\nby submitting\nessays\"\nto the\nuniversity\n- a claim\nCornell\ndenied.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\n--- Page 5 ---\nThe Ithaca\nPolice\nDepartment\nsaid\nin a statement\nMondaythat\nit was \"disturbed\"\nto\nhear about\nthe 2024 allegations.\nThe department\nnoted\nit learned\nabout\nthe alleged\nincident\nonly\nrecently\nthrough\nthe media and said\nthe incident\nwas not reported\nto the\nagency.\nCNNhas reached out\nto the\nCornell\nUniversity\nPolice\nDepartment,\nthe Chi Phi fraternity\nand others\nnamed in the lawsuit.\n\u00b7-\u00b7. 1\n..\n----.,,\nThe Chi Phi fraternity\nhouse at Cornell\nUniversity\non Monday. (Heather Ainsworth/AP)\n\n--- Page 6 ---\nThe 101-page complaint\nnames more than a dozen defendants,\nincluding\nthe seven\nfraternity\nmembersfrom\n2024,\nCornell\nUniversity,\nand the Chi Phi fraternity.\nAllegations\ninclude\nnegligence,\nbreach of contract,\nsexual\nassault\nand battery\nand\nviolations\nof NewYork's HumanRights\nLaw.\nRELATEDARTICLE\nCampusesreopen under Trump administration\nsexual\nassault\nrules\ncritics\nsay protect\nthe accused more than\nsurvivors\n12 MIN READ\nThe lawsuit\nsays Doe was 20 years\nold and had been drinking\nat her sorority\nhouse and\na bar before\nshe arrived\nat the Chi Phi house to visit\na friend,\nwho was one of the\nfraternity\nmemberson the night\nof October\n19, 2024.\nADVERTISEMENT\nAccording\nto the\nsuit,\nDoe had already\nconsumed about\n10 standard\ndrinks\nwithin\nthe\npast\nthree\nhours when she arrived\nat the fraternity\nhouse.\n\n--- Page 7 ---\nand pressured\nher\ninto\nsnorting\na substance\nthey described\nas ketamine,\nand that\nshe\nwas then\nsexually\nassaulted\nwhile\n\"incapable\nof consent.\"\nAt roughly\n1:42\na.m.,\none of the menallegedly\nsent\na message to the\nfraternity's\nSnapchat group chat - titled\n\"Chi\nPhi Actives\"\n- stating\nthere\nwas \"free\np*ssy\"\nupstairs.\nBy doing\nthis,\nthe\nsuit\nalleges,\none of the accused \"encouraged\nother\nXI CHAPTER\nmembers to join\nin on the gang rape of plaintiff.\"\nADVERTISEMENT\nA photo\nof a portion\nof the\nchat\nis included\nin the\nfiling.\nMultiple\nfraternity\nmembers\nthen entered\nthe room, where the complaint\nalleges\nthey pressured\nDoe into\ntaking\nmore ketamine\nand subjected\nher to an hourslong\nassault\nthat\ncontinued\nuntil\napproximately\n5:45 a.m.\nThose exchanges are going\nto be a critical\npiece\nof evidence\nin this\ncase, former\nfederal\nprosecutor\nBerit\nBerger\ntold\nCNN's Anderson\nCooper Monday. \"One has to think,\nif we\nwere actually\ndoing\nthis\ninvestigation\ntwo years\nago, what else would be available\nthat\nmay not be available\nnow? What witnesses\nhave graduated\nor moved away or lost\nrecollection\nof this? What other\nsort\nof digital\ntrail\nhas now not been preserved?\"\n\n--- Page 8 ---\ncomplaint\nsays.\nCornell\nsuspended the Chi Phi chapter\nand the seven accused\nstudents,\n\"who were afforded\nthe opportunity\nto mitigate\ntheir\nconduct\nby submitting\nessays\nto\nCornell,\"\naccording\nto the lawsuit,\nwhich\nCornell\ndenied.\nRELATEDARTICLE\nOhio State\nreaches $100 million\nsettlement\nwith\nnearly 300 sex abuse\nsurvivors\n2 MIN READ\nThe complaint\nfaults\nCornell\nfor\nfailing\nto properly\ndiscipline\nafter\nthe\nassault,\n\"all\nthe\nwhile\nsheltering\nthem from speaking\nto law enforcement,\nand silencing\nvictims.\"\nADVERTISEMENT\nCornell's\n\"conduct\nwas so outrageous,\nshocking,\ndespicable,\nand contemptible\nthat\nit\nexceeds the reasonable\nbounds of decency as measured by what the average member\nof the community would tolerate\nand demonstrates\nan utter\ndisregard\nfor\nthe\nconsequences that would follow,\"\nthe lawsuit\nsays.\nThe complaint\nis seeking\na jury\ntrial\nto determine\nmonetary\ndamages.\n\n--- Page 9 ---\nfrom the\nallegations\nin the lawsuit.\n\"Jane\nDoe's statement\ndescribed\nher participation\nin drug use and sexual\nconduct\nas\nvoluntary,\nconscious,\nand consensual,\"\nVan Houten\nsaid.\nADVERTISEMENT\nHis office\nhas not released\nthe\nfull\npolice\nreport.\nCNNhas asked Jane Doe's attorney\nfor\na response\nto Van Houten's\nstatement\nand for\na copy of her complete\n2024 police\nstatement.\nDuring\na contentious\ninterview\nMonday, CNN's Jake Tapper pressed Van Houten on why\nthere\nwasn't\na more expansive\ninvestigation\nfrom law enforcement\nor the DA's office\nafter\nthe\ninitial\nreport\nwas madein 2024.\n\"We can't\nchange what happened\nin the past\nas much as the community\nis outraged,\"\nVan Houten\nsaid. \"My job under the NewYork State\nConstitution\nis to apply\nthe penal\nlaw of NewYork State. Weare constrained\nby that\nlaw. Whether you agree with\nit,\nwhether\nyou think\nsomeone's\nconduct\nis morally\nrepugnant\nor vulgar\nor disgusting.\nI'm\nstill\nconstrained\nby the law.\"\n\n--- Page 10 ---\nVan Houten\ntells\nCNNhe is \"constrained\nby the law.\"\n0:55\nThe DAsaid\nthe main difference\nbetween the\ninitial\nDoe statement\nand the\ncivil\ncomplaint\nis that\nthe lawsuit\n\"omits\nany reference\nthat\nJane Doe consented\nto the sexual\ncontact.\"\nADVERTISEMENT\nHe acknowledged\nthat\nthe text message screen\nshots between the men\"were\ncompletely\nvulgar\nand disgusting,\nbut they had nothing\nto do with her consent.\"\n\n--- Page 11 ---\ncomplaint,\nthat\nthe fraternity\nbrothers\nsent each other.\nVan Houten said\nthat\nhis team did not see the\ntext\nmessages evidence\ninitially.\n\"They were not part\nof our initial\nanalysis,\nbut\nI understand\nthat\nCornell\nhad them, and\nthey\nsent them to our team,\"\nhe said.\n'Disgusting\nand morally\nreprehensible'\nWhile\nthe behavior\nof certain\nChi Phi fraternity\nmembers was \"without\nquestion\ndisgusting\nand morally\nreprehensible,\"\nthe\ndistrict\nattorney\nsaid\nmultiple\nprosecutors\nand criminal\ninvestigators\ndetermined\nthe events\nas described\nin Doe's 2024 account\ndid not constitute\na crime.\nADVERTISEMENT\nNothing\nin Doe's\noriginal\nstatement\nindicated\nshe was drugged without\nconsent\nor had\nsex against\nher\nwill,\nVan Houten\nsaid.\nAccording\nto the\naccuser's\nstatement,\n\"each time\nJane Doe asked to stop\nthe sexual\nconduct,\nthe sexual\nconduct\nstopped.\"\n\"Thus,\nwith\nno evidence\nof a 'lack\nof consent,'\ncriminal\ncharges\nsimply\ncould not be\nsustained,\"\nthe\ndistrict\nattorney\nwrote.\n\n--- Page 12 ---\ntheir\nown conduct\nbecause they were drugged without\nconsent,\nVan Houten\nsaid.\nBut\nhe said\nexcerpts\nfrom Jane Doe's 2024 statement\nindicated\nshe took drugs\nvoluntarily.\nSo even if a person\nis heavily\nintoxicated,\nit would not count\nas \"mental\nincapacitation\"\nas long\nas a person consented\nto taking\nthe\nsubstance.\nADVERTISEMENT\nThat's\na \"deficiency\nin NewYork law,\"\nBerger\ntold\nCNN. \"There\nis this\ngap in NewYork\nlaw where if somebody voluntarily\ntook\ndrugs,\ndrank\nalcohol\nto the point\nthat\nthey\nwere incapacitated,\nin many circumstances,\nthat's\nnot enough to prove that\nthey\ndidn't\nconsent,\"\nBerger\nsaid.\nBut Doe's\nattorney,\nThomas P. Giuffra,\ntold\nTapper Mondayhe doesn't\nbelieve\nthere\nis a\n\"loophole\"\nin NewYork law.\n\"If\nthere\nwas, think\nabout\nit\nlogically:\nIt would mean\nanybody could go trolling\na bar looking\nfor\na womanwho's\nintoxicated,\nrape them, and\nget away with\nit,\"\nhe said.\n\n--- Page 13 ---\nDoe's attorney\ntells\nCNNhe doesn't\nbelieve\nthere\nis a \"loophole\"\nin NY law.\n0:18\nHe believes\nthe\ninitial\ninvestigation\nwas inadequate.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\"It\nis challenging\nfor meto understand how a thorough\ncriminal\ninvestigation\ncould\nhave been conducted when she never spoke with anyone other\nthan the\nofficer\nwho\ntook her original\ncomplaint,\"\nGiuffra\ntold CNNin an earlier\nstatement.\n\n--- Page 14 ---\ninvestigators\nfrom the Tompkins County District\nAttorney s\nOffice\nor any investigators\ntrained\nin interviewing\nrape survivors,\"\nGiuffra\nsaid.\n\"If\nthe\nDistrict\nAttorney's\noffice\nis now considering\nprosecution,\nI believe\nthat\nit\nis a step\nin the\nright\ndirection,\nalbeit\na late\none.\"\nGiuffra\ntold\nTapper that\nDoe's\nlife\nhas been ruined\nfollowing\nthe \"nightmare\"\nof two\nyears\nago.\nADVERTISEMENT\nHe stressed\nthe\nalleged\nincident\nwas not consensual.\n\"I don't know how anybody who was grossly\nintoxicated\nand drugged can consent\nto\nanything,\"\nGiuffra\nsaid.\nIf this\nwas consensual\nand she wanted\nto participate,\nhe said,\n\"she wouldn't\nhave gone to the police\nin the\nfirst\nplace.\"\nHe added that\nDoe wants\naccountability.\nDespite\nnot being\nin\ncollege\nanymore,\n\"she\nis\nbarely\nhanging\non.\"\nGiuffra\nrevealed\nDoe was not allowed\nto leave\nschool\nand heal\nafter\nthe\nalleged\nincident.\n\n--- Page 15 ---\n\"Her parents,\nwho had paid thousands and thousands\nof dollars\nfor her to attend\nCornell,\ntried\nto get their\nmoney\nback,\"\nGiuffra\nalleged.\n\"Cornell\nsaid,\n'No, you have to\nstay in\nschool.'\nSo she spent an entire\nsemester\nin the campus where she saw these\nguys\non a fairly\nregular\nbasis.\nAnd that\nis just\nhorrifying\nto me.\"\nCNNhas reached out to Cornell\nfor comment on the\nallegation\nDoe was not allowed\nto\nwithdraw\nwithout\nfinancial\npenalty.\nCornell\nrebuts\nclaims\nabout\nlax punishment\nCornell\nsaid\nin a statement\nMonday it \"supports\nthe\ndecision\nof the Tompkins County\nDistrict\nAttorney\n(DA) to provide\nan opportunity\nfor\nthe\nvictim's\nstory\n...\nto be heard by\na criminal\ngrand jury.\"\nADVERTISEMENT\n\n--- Page 16 ---\nIn a September 21 statement,\nCornell\ndeclined\nto confirm\nthe individual\ndisciplinary\noutcomes,\nciting\nfederal\nstudent\nprivacy\nlaw. The school\nsaid violations\nof university\npolicy\n\"could\nlead\nto sanctions\nup to and including\nsuspension\nor expulsion,\"\nadding,\n\"We will\nrespond in\ndetail\nthrough\nthe legal\nprocess.\"\nRELATEDARTICLE\nCornell\nsuspends\nfraternity\nparties\nand social\nevents\nafter\nallegations\nof\n.\nsexual\nassault\nand drug-laced\ndrinks\n2 MIN READ\nDoe's\nattorney\nsaid\nCornell\nexpelled\ntwo of the seven accused\nstudents\nwhile\nthe\nothers\nreceived\nlesser\npunishment,\nincluding\nsuspensions,\nworkshops\nor written\nassignments.\nCornell\ncountered\nthat\nclaim\nMonday, saying\nthere\nwas a range\nof sanctions\nfor\nthe\naccused\nstudents,\nincluding\nsuspensions\nand expulsions.\nBut \"none of the individuals\ncharged were offered\nthe opportunity\nto write\nessays\nas a sole consequence of their\ninvolvement,\"\nthe university\nsaid.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\n--- Page 17 ---\ncriminal\nproceeding,\nand a panel\nof trained\nfaculty\nand staff\nheard evidence\nover\nmultiple\ndays,\nthe school\nsaid.\n\"Any suggestion\nthat\nthe University\ndid not impose consequential\npunishments\nfor\nthose\ninvolved\nis\nfalse,\"\nthe statement\nread.\n\"A continuation\nof the\nfalse\nnarrative\nthat\nthere\nwere minimal\nconsequences in this\ncase\nis irresponsible,\nwill\nmake survivors\nfeel\nless\nsafe and supported,\nand will\nperpetuate\nthe underreporting\nof sexual\nassault.\"\nThe school\nalso\nsaid\nit barred\nthe Xi chapter\nof the Chi Phi fraternity\nfrom\nits campus\nand launched\na sexual\nassault\ntask\nforce\nshortly\nafter\nthe\nincident,\nadding\nit has\nimplemented\nseveral\nof the group's\nrecommendations.\nAn attorney\nfor one of the accused fraternity\nbrothers\ndenied\nany wrongdoing\nby his\nclient.\nADVERTISEMENT\n\"Even the\nDistrict\nAttorney's\nOffice,\nled by a chief\nprosecutor\nwith\nthe duty\nto pursue\njustice\nand uphold\nthe rule\nof law without\nbias\nor favor,\nfiled\nno charges\nagainst\n(him)\nbecause what she alleged\ndid not happen,\"\nattorney\nJeremy Saland\nsaid\nin a statement\nto CNN. He said\nhis\nclient\n\"never\nsexually\nassaulted\nor even touched the\nplaintiff\nin any\nway.\"\n\n--- Page 18 ---\n\"The allegations\nnow being madepublicly\ndiffer\nfrom what was reported\nand\ninvestigated\nduring\nthat\nprocess,\"\nattorney\nAndrew Miltenberg\nsaid\nin a statement\nto\nCNN. \"We will\naddress\nthese\nissues through\nthe appropriate\nlegal\nprocess and will\nhave\nno further\ncomment at this\ntime.\"\nCNNis working\nto determine\nif the other namedfraternity\nbrothers\nhave\nrepresentation.\nJane Doe speaks out\nIn a statement\nto CNN, Doe said she went to Cornell\n\"with\ngreat\nhope and promise\nfor\na\ngood education.\"\n\"What\nI experienced\nfrom those who raped mein the fraternity\nwas the worst\nexperience\nof mylife.\nI was brutalized\nand it injured\nmephysically\nbut perhaps more\nimportantly,\nemotionally,\"\nDoe said.\n\"I want to recover\nfrom\nthis\ntrauma but\nit\nis\nextremely\ndifficult.\nIt\naffects\nevery\naspect\nof mylife.\nIt will\nhaunt meand be part\nof me\nthe\nrest\nof my\nlife.\"\nAbout 35%of undergraduate\nwomenat Cornell\nUniversity\nreported\nexperiencing\n\"nonconsensual\nsexual\ncontact\"\nduring\ntheir\ntime\nat the\nschool,\na 2025 survey\nconducted by the university\nfound.\nThat was an increase\nfrom 23%in the\nuniversity's\n2023 survey.\nThe lawsuit\n- and along with\nthe lack\nof criminal\ncharges and accusations\nof\ninadequate\ndiscipline\n- has drawn a wave of outrage.\nUSRep. Alexandria\nOcasio-Cortez,\na Democrat from NewYork City,\ncondemned what\nshe described\nas a \"culture\nof rape\"\nat\nelite\nuniversities\nand institutions\nduring\na\nSunday town hall\nin Ithaca,\nwhere Cornell\nis located.\n\n--- Page 19 ---\nlawsuit.\nThat means it was normal\nto them,\nthat means it was acceptable\nto them.\nThis\nis a culture,\nthis\nis norms, these\nare practices,\nand what we must do is understand\nthat\nwe cannot\nprotect\nthose\nspaces anymore.\"\nAOCcalls\nout Cornell\nUniversity\nover alleged\n...\n2:38\nActor\nFlorence\nPugh also posted an impassioned\nresponse\nin a lengthy\nInstagram\npost\nSunday, writing,\n\"I'm\nno longer\ntired\n- I'm enraged by schools\nprotecting\nboys,\nin fear\nof\ntheir\nfutures\nbeing wrecked.\"\n\"What about\nthe\nlife\nthat\nthose\ngirls\nthen have to endure,\nwith\nthe knowledge\nthat\nhis\nreputation\nis more precious\nthan her truth?\"\nshe added.\n\n--- Page 20 ---\nKnow that womeneverywhere\nare here\nto hold you and help you on your\nhealing\njourney,\"\nshe wrote.\nMeanwhile,\nIthaca\nMayor Robert\nG. Cantelmo on Monday called\nfor\na pause on Cornell\nUniversity's\nGreek life\nand student\ngroup gatherings.\nIn a statement\non Instagram,\nthe mayor said\nthe moratorium\nwould be in place\n\"until\nsuch time\nthat\nthe University\nconducts\nan accounting\nof its\nprotocols\nto prevent\nand\nprosecute\ncrimes\nof sexual\nviolence\nand publicly\nreleases\nnew standards\nand practices\nto keep our community\nsafe.\"\nCNNreached out\nto the university\nfor commenton the mayor's\nproposed moratorium,\nwhich\nrequires\napproval\nfrom\nthe town council.\nThis story\nhas been updated with\nadditional\ninformation.\nHelp is available:\nFor help in\nthe\nUS, call\nthe National\nSexual Assault\nHotline\nat 1-800-\n656-4673 or chat 24/7 on online.rainn.org.\nCNN's SammyLindeH and Avni Trivedi\ncontributed\nto this\nreport.\nUp next\nCornell\nsays ex-US Deputy Attorney\nGeneral\nSally\nYates\nwill\ninvestigate\nschool's\nresponse\nto Jane Doe's rape allegations\n3 MIN READ\nMood at Cornell\nUniversity\ndarkens\namid mounting\npressure\non investigators\nof\nalleged\nsex assault\n6 MIN READ","thumbnailUrl":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/446/thumb.webp","transcriptStatus":"not_applicable","transcriptText":"","url":"https://lucycraig.blog/media/446"}