Tensions rise over handling of alleged sexual assault case at Cornell University

(CNN, KYMA) - Outrage and demands for action at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York over the school's handling of an alleged sexual assault by several fraternity members in 2024.

Tensions on campus reached a boiling point, with an administration building vandalized with a spray-painted message, highlighting the outrage.

Hundreds of students gathered for a demonstration on the school's campus Monday to show solidarity with sexual assault survivors.

The former student, known as "Jane Doe," filed a civil lawsuit last month against the school and seven fraternity members accused in connection with the assault.

The men named in the lawsuit have denied any wrongdoing.

Cornell's faculty is also taking action, with the school's Faculty Senate preparing for a no-confidence vote against the university's administration.

The district attorney reopened the case after the lawsuit was filed, but last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) expressed disapproval of the D.A.'s handling of the investigation, and appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor.