Federal and local prosecutors have officially reopened an investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell University. The decision follows a civil lawsuit filed by a female student who claims that in 2024, seven fraternity members drugged her with ketamine before sexually assaulting her.

In her legal filing, the accuser contends that Cornell University’s internal response to the incident was insufficient and failed to hold the perpetrators adequately accountable. While the university has not issued a new statement regarding the reopened criminal investigation, records indicate that the school previously took disciplinary action in response to the allegations. Specifically, Cornell closed the Chi Phi fraternity house and expelled several students associated with the incident.

Legal experts note that the reopening of the case suggests that prosecutors may have identified new evidence or are re-evaluating the initial findings of the university’s internal investigation. The transition from an internal university disciplinary matter to a reopened criminal inquiry highlights the ongoing tension between how academic institutions handle sexual misconduct allegations versus the formal judicial system.