SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
We're starting this hour with the latest in the investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity at Cornell University. At a press conference this morning, New York governor Kathy Hochul said she lacked faith in the Cornell University Police Department and the local district attorney.
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KATHY HOCHUL: Somebody knew more than they were letting people know.
PFEIFFER: Hochul has appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to take over the case. Aurora Berry from member station WSKG has been following this and joins us now. Hi, Aurora.
AURORA BERRY, BYLINE: Hi.
PFEIFFER: What did Hochul say made her feel like she doesn't have trust in local law enforcement to handle this?
BERRY: Well, it came out this week - and NPR confirmed - that the woman told university police back in 2024 she was raped by a group of fraternity members. The governor pointed to that revelation and to a statement by Tompkins County district attorney Matthew Van Houten that he never saw a transcript of her 2024 interview with police. Instead, he relied on a six-page report from campus police and did not charge anyone with a crime. At the press conference, Hochul said that the woman was failed by institutions that were supposed to protect her. Here she is.
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HOCHUL: In what world would the police learn from a victim that she'd been literally gang raped while intoxicated (ph) by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney?
BERRY: Hochul also criticized the district attorney for not interviewing her or requesting a full transcript of her police interview.
PFEIFFER: Now that the governor has asked the state attorney general to take over as special prosecutor, do we know what steps happen next?
BERRY: It's hard to say. James even acknowledged that people want answers about what happened in 2024, but it will take some time. She says her office will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses and, if necessary, pursue prosecutions.
And I should add that we reached out to the university. A spokesperson said in a statement that they support the appointment of a special prosecutor and, quote, "are committed to an independent external review of all aspects of how Cornell has handled this case." Van Houten, the district attorney, released a statement saying he supports James' appointment and that it has, quote, "become clear that we were not provided the full picture by the university."
PFEIFFER: Aurora, assuming you've been able to talk to some Cornell's students, what kind of things have you heard from them?
BERRY: I spoke to Hannah Shvets, who is both a senior at Cornell and an elected official. She serves on the city of Ithaca's Common Council. Shvets says she heard about this when she was a sophomore. She says she and other students assumed the university was seeking justice.
HANNAH SHVETS: Two years ago, we knew that this happened, and a lot of the emotional, like, horror stuff - we've already felt it. We felt it two years ago. But now it's turned into mostly anger because nothing was done, is what it feels like.
BERRY: Shvets is also looking at this from the perspective of a local lawmaker. Cornell University is in Ithaca, but the Cornell University Police Department is part of the university, and they don't report to local government officials.
PFEIFFER: So since campus police and city police are different, what are the rules, if any, about what kind of information they have to share?
BERRY: It really varies by state, but I can tell you in New York that education law gives campus police jurisdiction over Cornell's campus. In most ways, Cornell police are just like any other police officers, but there's a key difference.
I spoke to John Sloan at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, an expert in university police departments. Sloan says, if constituents are frustrated with their local law enforcement, they can put pressure on their representatives to hold them accountable. Private university police are more likely to be accountable to university administrators and boards of trustees.
Cornell has also denied my station's public records request for information from the University Police Department. We've been told the department's records are private because Cornell is.
PFEIFFER: That is Aurora Berry from member station WSKG. Aurora, thank you.
BERRY: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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