@cspanofficial: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Friday strongly criticized Cornell University's police department and the local district attorney for their handling of sexual assault allegations made by a student who said she was raped at a fraternity house in 2024. The governor said the student, identified as Jane Doe, had told campus police point blank that she had been raped but that language was missing from her written statement shared with the DA's office, which decided not to file charges. "In what world would the police learn from the victim that she had literally been gang-raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney? In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved?" she said at a press conference in Manhattan. "This woman, this young woman, had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable, and then at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her." Gov. Hochul said she had appointed Letitia James, the state's attorney general, as a special prosecutor to take over the investigation. "She'll follow the facts, she'll examine the evidence and go wherever it leads. And if the evidence supports criminal charges, she will pursue them," she said. "No institution gets to protect its reputation at the expense of a young person seeking justice. No public official gets to look the other way when the system breaks down and fails our young people. And as governor, I will not allow anyone to sweep this case under the rug." #cornell #cornelluniversity #kathyhochul #cspan

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Friday 02 October 2026 18:38:13 GMT