Chi Phi puts out new statement about alleged gang rape at Cornell as Schumer calls for investigation
The head of the national Chi Phi fraternity is speaking out Wednesday about an alleged rape at its Cornell University chapter, Xi.
A former student alleges that, in October 2024, she was drugged and gang raped there. Her attorney claims that after the investigation that followed, only two of seven people accused were expelled, and none of them were arrested.
Following the lawsuit, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office will reopen the investigation into the case. Van Houten went on to tell CBS News New York's Mahsa Saeidi his decision not to bring charges was based on the contents of Jane Doe's signed 2024 statement.
He told Saeidi Tuesday that he had never seen the transcript of the conversation between Doe and investigators showing what she told campus police during the interview before his office decided not to bring charges.
New statement from Chi Phi
Cornell barred the local chapter of Chi Phi from the school after the alleged incident.
Trey Robb, interim executive director of the Chi Phi fraternity, said the organization is "committed to establishing the facts."
He said that he can't comment on the specific allegations in this case because legal proceedings are underway, but did discuss what actions the fraternity has taken since the alleged incident.
"Our records confirm that just three days after 'Jane Doe' filed a police report, the Xi chapter voted unanimously to remove the accused members from its rolls. The chapter also recommended that our national fraternity permanently expel them, and our Grand Council did so at a subsequent meeting," Robb said. "These actions went beyond anything the law or Cornell University required of us. As a private membership fraternity, Chi Phi acted within its own authority at both the chapter and national levels to remove men suspected of betraying the values of our brotherhood. They failed to meet the standards we set for every brother, and accountability is how we will always respond to behavior that falls short of those standards."
Robb said local chapters "manage their own affairs."
"Headquarters does not have day-to-day operational control of our chapters, which manage their own affairs, and we rely on their reporting to keep us informed. That is exactly what happened here," Robb added. "We acted swiftly because any man who breaks our rules or disregards our values undermines the work we do every day to build communities where young people can thrive."
Robb went on to say that Chi Phi nationally has long been a partner with the anti-sexual violence organization RAINN.
Schumer calls for investigation "that leaves no stone unturned"
Separately, Sen. Charles Schumer put out a statement Wednesday on the alleged incident as well.
"The allegations of sexual assault and rape at Cornell University are horrifying and deserve a thorough investigation that leaves no stone unturned. It took extraordinary courage for this young woman to come forward to university administrators and police. What she reported demanded urgency, seriousness, and an unflinching pursuit of the truth from the very beginning," Schumer said.
Schumer went on to echo New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's call for an independent review into how Cornell responded.
"There must now be a truly independent and exhaustive investigation — not only into what happened, but into how this case was handled from the moment she came forward. Every fact must be uncovered. Every failure must be examined. Wherever wrongdoing occurred, there must be accountability," Schumer said. "She had the courage to come forward. No survivor should have to summon that courage — and then fight the system to make it respond."
