Fraternity Member Requests Attorney General’s Removal in Cornell University Case
A fraternity member involved in a sexual assault lawsuit at Cornell University from 2024 has asked for New York Attorney General Letitia James to be removed from overseeing the investigation.
The student, Gillo Lopes, contends that James should be replaced due to comments she made on social media after the allegations were made public. He is requesting that the court appoint a different special prosecutor who would be unbiased and without conflicts of interest.
On September 28th, James referred to the complainant, identified only as “Jane Doe,” as a “survivor,” which Lopes argues indicates bias in her approach prior to Governor Kathy Hochul signing an executive order appointing James to this significant role.
“What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable,” James shared on social media. “I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.”
“By describing what Doe ‘has been forced to endure’ and associating her with ‘survivors,’ Attorney General James publicly characterized the alleged experience as an occurrence, before assuming control of the reopened criminal investigation,” Lopes’ attorney, Andrew Miltenberg, explained in a recent interview.
Miltenberg claims that while Lopes was present in the fraternity house with Jane Doe, he left before another fraternity member sent a group text offering “free” sex to other members. He also noted that Lopes did not see those messages until they were brought up during an investigation by Title IX.
“He didn’t do anything he feels remorseful about,” Miltenberg remarked. “That doesn’t mean he hasn’t treated the situation with dignity, empathy, and respect.”
“I trust my client, and he insists he did not know she was impaired,” the attorney added. “Cornell previously looked into these claims. The current public allegations are different from what was originally reported and investigated. These are serious accusations, but accusations do not constitute proof. Mr. Lopes deserves to be assessed based on the evidence, not prejudged due to allegations in a lawsuit or in the media. We plan to address these matters through the proper legal channels.”
This request marks another step in a case that has deeply impacted Cornell’s community and sparked broader discussions among Ivy League institutions about campus violence and the initial decision by law enforcement to not pursue the case.
Last month, Jane Doe filed a comprehensive federal civil lawsuit against Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity, and seven past fraternity members. This led the Tompkins County District Attorney to reopen the case based on her assertion that she was drugged and gang-raped in the fraternity house on October 19, 2024.
