The case stems from a civil lawsuit filed this month by a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe. She alleges seven Chi Phi fraternity brothers drugged, sexually assaulted and raped her at the on-campus fraternity house two years ago.
Van Houten's office previously declined to pursue criminal charges in the case. National outrage over that original decision has grown since the lawsuit surfaced, pushing prosecutors to publicly revisit the matter while still standing behind their earlier call not to charge anyone.
The renewed look matters most for Jane Doe, whose allegations are now getting fresh scrutiny years after the alleged assault. It also puts pressure on Cornell and the Chi Phi chapter, since the civil suit names the fraternity house itself as the site of the alleged attack. For a college town watching a prosecutor publicly defend a past call while reopening the same case, the outcome could shape how future assault allegations on campus get handled from the start.