New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that state Attorney General Letitia James has been appointed the special prosecutor in a high-profile alleged "gang rape" case that took place at Cornell University in 2024.

James is replacing Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten as the lead prosecutor in the case, which comes after the DA announced his team is considering criminal charges related to the incident after facing backlash from a civil lawsuit that was filed last month.

Hochul said that new information related to the incident has "raised serious questions about how this case was handled," and that she lost confidence in the DA's ability to prosecute the case.

“The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued," Hochul said in a statement. 

The former female Cornell student at the heart of the case filed a civil lawsuit late last month, alleging that she was drugged, assaulted and gang raped by seven members of the Ivy League school's Chi Phi fraternity. 

Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter was barred from campus after the alleged incident, though none of the individuals allegedly involved faced criminal charges, according to Van Houten.

Van Houten has defended his investigation, stating that his office did not bring charges because the woman’s statement to authorities did not allege she was drugged or that she did not consent to engage in sexual activities. 

The DA also claimed the woman admitted to taking drugs and alcohol voluntarily, did not allege being forced to engage in any acts and did not say she was "physically helpless or unconscious or incapacitated at any point during the time at the fraternity house."

The attorney for Jane Doe, however, disputes Van Houten’s description of his client's initial statement to the university police department and faulted authorities for not following up with his client. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.