AOC Blasts Cornell Over Handling of Students Accused of Gang Sexual Assault After Alleged Victim Files Lawsuit
AOC spoke up in support of the accuser.
Sept. 29 2026, Published 2:40 p.m. ET
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out Cornell University amid the horrifying allegations made against several frat members.
Ocasio-Cortez joined the growing number of people demanding the case be reopened, reevaluated, and addressed by the university with proper credence, RadarOnline.com has learned.
AOC Slams Cornell University
AOC declared this situation should 'never' happen again.
Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York's 14th District in Congress, spoke at the school's campus in Ithaca, New York.
"I want to be clear that the culture of r--e, sexual assault, and pedophilia is protected in elite institutions across the United States, including Cornell University,” she said.
The politician also called the culture surrounding the incident "one of the pressing issues" as she criticized the school for allegedly allowing a woman to "lose her education."
"Never again," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Her declaration follows a lawsuit filed by a woman against several members of Chi Phi fraternity. The woman alleged that she was invited to a frat house at the university while intoxicated before being assaulted for hours by brothers of the organization.
She claimed several men pressured her into taking drugs, including ketamine. As a result, she alleged she became incapacitated while the men took advantage of her state.
In response, the school allegedly offered lackluster penalties.
Rep. Reveals Own Assault Allegation
AOC said she was assaulted while at Boston University.
Ocasio-Cortez related the woman's story to her own experience. She told the crowd she was assaulted while attending Boston University.
“I was horrified at what I saw,” she said, regarding the lawsuit against the frat brothers. “What I thought that I was in at that point was a factory of sexual assault.”
Supporting students' demands for accountability, she added, "This is a culture. These are norms. These are practices."
Cornell Claims 'Consequential Punishments' Were Imposed
Cornell released a statement claiming more was imposed than just essay writing.
Reports circulated accusing Cornell of not taking the matter seriously, including allegedly allowing the accused to write essays as a form of disciplinary action. However, the school pushed back.
"Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false,” a Cornell spokesperson responded.
The university claimed there was an exhaustive Title IX adjudication process, which included testimony from parties involved and a review by a board. Following the investigation, the university said none of the respondents' punishments were limited to writing an essay.
Prosecutors Vow to Reopen Case
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Matthew Van Houten began the process to bring evidence to a grand jury.
At the time, prosecutors chose not to move forward with charges against the seven men. However, in response to renewed public interest, they agreed to reopen their probe.
Prosecutors plan to present evidence to a grand jury and seek an indictment.
"Seeking justice sometimes requires us to reconsider or reopen cases when we are provided with additional evidence," Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said in a statement. "I have been asked by the community to revisit the decision whether to pursue criminal charges against the seven fraternity members. I have already begun that process, starting with our conversation with Jane Doe and her attorneys."
Kyle Kimball, Vice President for University Relations at Cornell, said in a statement: "Cornell University supports the decision of the Tompkins County District Attorney (DA) to provide an opportunity for the victim’s story in the 2024 Chi Phi fraternity sexual assault case to be heard by a criminal grand jury."
