On November 15, 2024, a Cornell campus police officer reduced a 20‑page survivor account into a six‑page voluntary statement, excising the word "rape" that the victim had used.
The 20‑year‑old first reported in the Chi Phi fraternity house on November 14, 2024, after a night of alcohol and ketamine that left her unable to recall the final hours.
The original draft, preserved by The New York Times, contained the survivor’s clear assertion that she had been raped; the final version omitted that language, a fact highlighted by the reporter.
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who received the trimmed statement, said the alleged assault lacked sufficient evidence for criminal charges, framing the incident as consensual in the public filing.
He has scheduled a meeting with the survivor this week and indicated that new evidence may be presented to a grand jury, potentially reopening the case.