The Cornell University rape case has taken a dramatic new turn after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday that institutions responsible for protecting a former student failed her and appointed Attorney General Letitia James to oversee a renewed criminal investigation.

Hochul's move came one day after she said she had lost confidence in Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten's handling of the allegations. James has now been designated special prosecutor, taking control of an investigation that had already been reopened after newly surfaced evidence raised questions about how the original case was handled.

The allegations stem from an October 2024 incident at Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York. A former student, identified in a civil lawsuit as Jane Doe, alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members while she was unable to consent.

At a news conference with James, Hochul questioned why authorities did not elevate the allegations after learning about them.

She said the woman had told investigators she was raped but questioned why police did not send prosecutors a complete account or why prosecutors did not interview her directly.

"At every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her," Hochul said.

Attorney General Takes Over Cornell University Rape Case

James said the investigation is now active and promised a fresh examination of the evidence.

"We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions," James said.

The attorney general added that she understood the public was seeking answers.

The appointment follows intense scrutiny of Van Houten, whose office initially declined to bring criminal charges in 2024.

The district attorney has defended that decision, saying the information provided to his office at the time differed significantly from the allegations later outlined in the civil complaint.

Disputed Police Account Becomes Central Issue

Van Houten previously said Jane Doe's sworn statement did not allege that she had been drugged against her will or gang raped. He said her account described drug use and sexual activity as voluntary and consensual.

But a transcript of her Nov. 14, 2024, interview with Cornell police, obtained and reported by CBS News, shows her saying she was "100% confident" she had been raped.

Hochul seized on the discrepancy, saying those words were absent from the police account sent to prosecutors.

Van Houten said he had not received the full interview transcript before his office made its decision.

"If she had said those words, we certainly would want to have explored that more," he told CBS.

The case has since been reopened, with prosecutors preparing to determine whether criminal charges should be presented to a grand jury.

Lawsuit Details Alleged Assault at Chi Phi House

Jane Doe filed her civil lawsuit Sept. 14 against Cornell University and seven current or former Chi Phi fraternity members.

The defendants also include the Chi Phi fraternity, Doe's sorority, Delta Delta Delta, and an off-campus bar that allegedly served her alcohol.

She is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for alleged psychological injuries, emotional distress, pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

According to the complaint, Doe was 20 and a Cornell student when she visited the fraternity house on Oct. 19, 2024, while already intoxicated.

She alleges that two fraternity members pressured her into taking what she was told was ketamine before sexually assaulting her. One allegedly posted a message to the fraternity's Snapchat group suggesting she was available for sex.

The lawsuit says additional fraternity members then arrived and that the alleged assault continued for hours.

The complaint alleges that ketamine was repeatedly used during the incident and that Doe eventually lost consciousness around 5:45 a.m.

She reported the incident to Cornell police roughly three weeks later.

According to accounts cited by ABC News, Doe told investigators that the encounter felt coercive, that she had said no to a proposed sexual encounter involving several people and that her level of intoxication left her unable to make decisions.

New Evidence Fuels Questions About Initial Investigation

The original investigation has come under renewed scrutiny as additional records and testimony have emerged.

During a later university proceeding, Doe reportedly described feeling like "bait" and said she felt surrounded by people like lions.

Those statements appeared in a lengthy Cornell Title IX report examining the incident.

The university investigation also included statements from a fraternity member whom Cornell found had not participated in the alleged assault but was responsible for attempted sexual exploitation.

The student reportedly expressed regret about not intervening if Doe had been victimized.

The civil lawsuit says Cornell's Title IX investigation involved at least 12 hearings. It alleges the accused students were allowed to submit essays as part of efforts to mitigate their conduct.

Two of the seven accused students were expelled, while others received lesser disciplinary measures, according to the complaint. Cornell has disputed descriptions suggesting essays were the sole disciplinary response.

Two men have also issued statements through their attorneys denying involvement in a sexual assault, according to The Associated Press.

Cornell Defends Its Response

Cornell has pushed back against allegations that it failed to impose meaningful consequences.

The university said its civil rights and student conduct offices investigated and adjudicated the allegations under university procedures. The Chi Phi chapter involved remains barred from campus.

Cornell has declined to publicly disclose individual student sanctions, citing federal privacy requirements.

The university also launched a task force focused on campus sexual assault following the incident and released a report in March containing recommendations intended to strengthen sexual health and safety.

Some recommendations have already been implemented, while others remain under development, Cornell said.

Hochul separately announced that Cornell agreed to an independent review of its original response to the allegations.

Hochul Seeks Changes to New York Sexual Assault Law

The controversy has also pushed the debate beyond Cornell's campus.

Hochul said she intends to pursue a change to New York law concerning victims who voluntarily consume alcohol or drugs before an alleged assault.

Under the current framework described by the governor, voluntary intoxication does not by itself establish mental incapacity for purposes of consent unless the person was physically helpless and unable to communicate consent.

Hochul argued that the law should be changed so intoxication does not become a barrier to recognizing an inability to consent.

"Voluntary intoxication is not a license for sexual assault or gang rape," she said.

The legal debate is unfolding alongside the renewed criminal investigation, meaning the Cornell University rape case now has multiple tracks: a civil lawsuit, a university review and a state criminal investigation under new leadership.

Case Sparks National Reaction

The allegations have triggered an unusually broad public response, drawing attention from celebrities, activists and elected officials.

Actress Florence Pugh called on men to speak more openly about sexual violence in an Instagram post. Actor Josh Gad criticized Cornell over allegations concerning the disciplinary process.

Former South Park writer Toby Morton launched a website focused on accountability for the university and the accused fraternity members.

Actress Mariska Hargitay also issued a statement with the Joyful Heart Foundation, which supports survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.

Actor Hudson Williams publicly called for the accused men to be arrested, according to Variety.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., also addressed the controversy during a town hall in Ithaca.

She criticized what she described as a broader culture surrounding sexual violence at elite institutions and recalled her own experience of being touched inappropriately at a college party.

Ocasio-Cortez also spoke directly about Jane Doe's decision to leave Cornell, saying the alleged victim lost her education while the accused men remained connected to the institution.

The criminal investigation now moves forward under James, while the civil case proceeds separately. No criminal charges have been announced against the seven men, and the allegations in the lawsuit remain allegations unless established in court.

With the governor demanding answers, prosecutors reviewing evidence and Cornell facing an independent examination of its response, the Cornell University rape case has entered a new and consequential chapter — one in which records once buried in separate investigations are now being placed under a much brighter legal spotlight.