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The following statement was released by New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins regarding Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten’s re-opening of a case regarding allegations that seven male students from Cornell University gang-raped a female student in 2024. District Attorney Van Houten re-opened the case after the alleged victim filed a civil suit against Cornell University.
Here is the statement issued by Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins:
“The information surrounding this case and the accusations that have come to light are reprehensible and deeply disturbing. I commend the victim for having the courage to come forward, and no one should ever have that courage met with concerns that the institutions meant to protect them are not standing up for them.
“I am glad the District Attorney has reopened this case and will investigate these allegations to the fullest extent, but this needs to be a bigger conversation about Cornell’s protocols and how seriously it takes the women on its campus when they are brave enough to speak up. The university’s response to these allegations has rightfully drawn serious scrutiny, and we need to ensure that all students on that campus and campuses across the state can report these crimes without being ostracized in the process. I support the Governor’s call for an independent review of the University’s handling of this horrific case. We in the Senate Majority have passed various bills standing up for victims of sexual assault and will continue to look at smart legislative fixes, so all victims are heard and protected.”
District Attorney Van Houten told ABC News “It’s our intention to present the case to the Tompkins County grand jury with Jane Doe’s cooperation. We want to reexamine whether there’s additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment of the case and would result in the grand jury finding that there was criminal conduct.”
