Defence lawyer in Cornell University case calls for special prosecutor to be removed

What the report says

A lawyer for one of seven men accused in a Cornell University gang rape case is asking New York Attorney General Letitia James to step aside from the investigation, arguing that her public comments about the alleged victim could undermine the appearance of neutrality. James was recently appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul as special prosecutor to examine both the allegations and how the university and law enforcement initially responded.

According to the BBC, the lawyer said a post James made on social media, in which she described the woman’s experience as horrific and said survivors were not alone, creates questions about the probe’s independence. The lawyer stressed that the request was not an accusation of bad faith, but a call for voluntary recusal to avoid doubts about the process. Hochul, when asked about impartiality concerns, said James would follow the facts and pursue charges if the evidence supports them.

The case centers on accusations in a lawsuit that the woman, identified as Jane Doe, was drugged and raped for several hours at a fraternity party in October 2024. The suit also alleges the university failed to protect her. The controversy has fueled campus unrest, with protests reported this week and Cornell’s faculty senate expected to consider a no-confidence vote against university leadership. A no-confidence vote would be symbolic, but it would signal wider discontent and add pressure on the administration.