Cornell Lawsuit Reveals Allegations of Fraternity Cover-Up

A former Cornell University student has filed a federal civil lawsuit after experiencing a multi-hour sexual assault in 2024, allegedly involving members of the Chi Phi fraternity who drugged her with ketamine and coordinated the assault through group chat messages. The lawsuit names the national Chi Phi organization, its local campus chapter, and Cornell University as defendants.

It accuses campus officials and law enforcement of failing to investigate the incident properly, allowing the accused students to evade serious criminal charges while the victim was compelled to drop out. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced that the criminal investigation has been reopened and evidence will be presented to a grand jury.

The lawsuit outlines significant failures, including the neglect of digital evidence from Snapchat group chats and minimal disciplinary actions that allowed students to address misconduct through reflective essays instead of facing law enforcement. The victim's legal team argues that institutional negligence delayed justice for years.