New York state police will take over future sexual assault investigations at Cornell University under a new agreement announced by Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday, the latest fallout from controversy over the university's handling of an alleged gang rape on campus.

The move follows widespread criticism of the university's conduct in the case and questions over why no criminal charges were filed after a woman identified only as Jane Doe said she was raped by members of a Cornell fraternity.

Under the agreement signed by the state police and Cornell University, sexual offense complaints — which normally fall under the jurisdiction of campus police — will be referred to state police for criminal investigation unless the accuser requests otherwise, Ms. Hochul said in a statement. The arrangement shifts criminal investigations of such complaints away from the campus department that would ordinarily handle them and places them with an outside law enforcement agency.

"When someone reports sexual assault, they deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and know their allegations will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated," Ms. Hochul said in her announcement.

Describing the Jane Doe allegations as "horrifying," she added: "Survivors should be able to trust the institutions responsible for protecting them. We cannot afford to let them down."

Cornell University did not immediately respond to a request for comment made after normal office hours.

Earlier Response Measures

The announcement builds on earlier steps taken in response to the case. Ms. Hochul previously named State Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to reopen the criminal investigation into Jane Doe's complaint, while a committee of Cornell's board of trustees appointed former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct a review of the university's response to sexual assault claims. Both steps remain in progress.

The Allegations and Legal Proceedings

According to a civil lawsuit filed this year, Jane Doe said she was drugged and gang-raped during a visit to the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. The suit alleges that fraternity members pressured her to take ketamine and sexually assaulted her over several hours while she was too intoxicated to consent, naming seven former students as defendants.

Attorneys for the former students have denied the allegations. Some have said the sexual activity was consensual, while others have disputed their clients' participation in the events described in the lawsuit.

Although Cornell expelled or disciplined several of the students involved in the incident, no criminal charges were filed.

No-Confidence Vote Underway

The lawsuit triggered widespread criticism of the university in Ithaca, New York, where students, alumni, and advocates have called for greater transparency about how the school handles sexual assault claims.

Cornell's Faculty Senate is now moving forward with a vote of no confidence in the university administration. About 135 members of the governing body can vote on the non-binding resolution from Friday until November 6, the Cornell Daily Sun reported. As a non-binding measure, the vote cannot by itself remove administrators or compel policy changes, but it gives faculty a formal way to register their position on the administration's handling of the crisis.

"The Faculty Senate has no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University," the resolution reads.

— Reuters