New York prosecutors reopened an investigation into an alleged s*xual assault case after the woman filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University in Ithaca.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the investigation after the woman changed her story in the newly filed lawsuit.
Van Houten said Jane Doe gave police a “significantly different” statement in 2024 when the incident allegedly happened after she went to a frat house on campus to visit a friend in October 2024.
In her civil complaint, Jane Doe alleges seven Chi Phi fraternity members drugged her and s*xually assaulted her, and even invited other frat members to join in.
Three weeks later, Doe told police she was “gang r*ped” by as many as 7 frat members. But the case was closed under New York law because Doe admitted she was a willing participant.
Prosecutor Van Houten said Doe told police that she consented to using drugs, she consented to parts of the s*x acts and she was not forced to participate.
None of the frat members were charged. Two were suspended and others were made to write essays “to mitigate their conduct.”
The woman’s civil lawsuit conflicts with the story she gave in 2024.
“The decision made in November of 2024 that the evidence did not support the filing of criminal charges was legally correct,” Van Houten said in a statement to CNN. “At the same time, I recognize the reality that it can take years of therapy and healing for victims of sexual assaults to fully process and understand what happened to them.”
A grand jury will review the woman’s statements and determine if any charges will be filed.