Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced that his office is reopening the criminal investigation into an alleged 2024 assault at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Prosecutors now intend to present the case to a grand jury following a civil lawsuit filed by a former student earlier this month. The lawsuit alleges that seven fraternity members drugged and assaulted the student. While Cornell permanently banned the chapter from campus, no criminal charges were pursued against the individual members at the time. The case has renewed student frustration with university administration and campus police. The DA admitted his office never conducted an independent investigation and relied entirely on Cornell Police, while the survivor’s attorney argues campus police failed to follow up, ignored critical group chat evidence, and lacked proper training to handle the report.