Hochul names special prosecutor in Cornell rape case

Special prosecutor appointed

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order appointing New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the case of a woman who alleges she was drugged and raped at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024.

The woman has filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell, an Ivy League university. Hochul said she was deeply disturbed by the way Cornell’s campus police handled the investigation. The governor also criticized county prosecutors for not interviewing the woman themselves.

Hochul said the woman had been failed throughout the process by people and institutions responsible for protecting her. The special prosecutor’s investigation could lead to criminal charges, but James has not set a timeline for completing it.

James said her office would follow the facts and the law in deciding whether charges should be brought.

State law and Cornell’s response

Hochul also said she would support legislation addressing what she described as a loophole in New York’s sexual-consent laws. She said current law can make sex crimes harder to prosecute when an alleged victim voluntarily consumed alcohol or drugs before an assault.

The governor did not outline the specific language or schedule for that legislation.

Cornell said it supports the appointment of a special prosecutor and efforts to change the state’s rape law. The university also said it is committed to an independent external review examining every aspect of how it handled the case.

The criminal inquiry and Cornell’s external review are separate processes. James’s office will determine whether the facts and law support criminal charges, while the university-backed review will examine Cornell’s actions.