New York State Police will now handle all future sexual assault complaints that would normally fall under the jurisdiction of Cornell University Police, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced. Under a newly signed agreement, the Ivy League institution has committed to immediately referring all sexual offense reports to the state law enforcement agency for criminal investigation, unless the complainant specifically requests otherwise.
The announcement follows intense public fallout over the university’s handling of an alleged gang-rape complaint filed by a former student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, who left the school due to trauma. The survivor alleges she was drugged and assaulted for hours by seven members of the university’s Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024. Campus police were notified after the incident, but no criminal charges were brought against the accused men. The case became public in November 2024, and further details emerged in September through a civil lawsuit seeking compensatory and punitive damages from both the university and the alleged attackers.
Governor Hochul described the allegations as horrifying and emphasized the need for institutional accountability. Every student deserves to feel safe on their campus, and when someone reports sexual assault, they deserve to be heard, treated with compassion and know their allegations will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated by law enforcement trained to support survivors, Hochul said in a statement. Survivors should be able to trust the institutions responsible for protecting them, she added, noting that authorities cannot afford to let them down.
The transfer of investigative duties is part of a broader series of interventions prompted by the scandal, which has drawn severe scrutiny toward both campus and local law enforcement. Last month, Hochul called for an independent review of Cornell’s response to the allegations. The university subsequently formed a special committee and announced that former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates would lead the review. Additionally, Hochul appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James to serve as a special prosecutor to investigate the allegations against the seven fraternity members.
The governor’s latest directive was released a day after the Cornell University Faculty Senate initiated a no-confidence vote regarding the administration’s capacity to effectively address what faculty termed the ongoing crisis of sexual assault on campus. Voting on that measure is scheduled to close on Nov. 6.
