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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling for a transparent and independent review of Cornell University’s response to the “horrifying” rape allegations made by a female former student.

Hochul made the comments a day after prosecutors said they would reopen the investigation into seven Cornell alumni and fraternity brothers who the woman alleged drugged and gang-raped her for several hours in October 2024.

“The allegations in this case are nothing short of horrifying,” Hochul said Tuesday in a statement . “For any student to come forward after an experience like this takes extraordinary courage. No student should ever be left wondering whether the institutions meant to protect them will listen and act.”

The governor said she supports reopening the criminal case, but also questioned the university’s campus culture and safeguards to protect victims of sexual violence.

“That is why I am calling for outside counsel to conduct a transparent, independent review of the university’s response to determine whether Cornell met every obligation to protect its students and pursue justice,” Hochul said.

Recently filed lawsuit

The woman, who was 20 years old at the time and is referred to as Jane Doe, recently filed a lawsuit against seven former Chi Phi fraternity members, while also accusing the Ithaca, N.Y., school of failing to protect her and prevent the alleged assault, reported CBS News .

The woman’s lawyer alleged that following an investigation by the school, only two students she accused of raping her were expelled and no one was arrested.

Named in the 101-page lawsuit are Scott Kretzschmar, Scott Norris, Johnathan Newell, Matthew Ingalls, Gillio Lopes, Winston Lee and Diego Sarabia.

Accused’s lawyer disputes rape claim

A lawyer for one of the former students named in the lawsuit is dismissing the rape allegation as a “money grab,” saying his client made an “immature comment” on a messaging app but was otherwise not involved.

“The plaintiff can peddle any story she wants, but intentionally victimizing an innocent person for a money grab is reprehensible even if the rest of her claims against others is true,” Jeremy Saland, the lawyer for Kretzschmar, told the New York Post .

“While Scott made an immature comment on Snapchat, he did nothing else.”

Kretzschmar’s lawyer said the former student was with the woman in a room at the fraternity house for a few minutes, but “did not see her in duress or undress, was involved in no sexual activity nor touched the plaintiff in any way and ingested no ketamine.”

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Text messages unearthed

The lawsuit accuses Kretzschmar of pouring lines of ketamine on her body to snort and texted “free p—- in alum” in the group chat as well as “diego went 7 min ago and is not afk sooooo,” apparently referring to Sarabia, the Post reported.

Further text messages obtained by CBS News reveal communications between the woman and one of lawsuit’s defendants, which were sent two days after the alleged rape.

The man said his memory was “kinda fuzzy” about that day and apologized for “how things went down.” He said he and another individual felt bad for being too intoxicated to “shut it down and kick people out before it got way out of hand.”

The woman responded that her memory is “super clouded, too,” and agreed that they were all drunk.

In addition, she said she didn’t consider the “sexual stuff” illegal, while suggesting they smoke together again, “but like leave out the extra 5 billion men and ketamine.”

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One accused reportedly fired

Thomas Giuffra, the woman’s lawyer, told the outlet that she was in denial and traumatized shortly after the assault, adding she decided to take a softer tone in her text messages with the man to learn what exactly happened that day.

“Not one of these guys was arrested,” Giuffra said. “Not one. That I can tell you for a fact.”

One of the seven men accused of drugging and raping the woman is reportedly out of a job after being fired by a North Carolina bank.

Celebrity news website TMZ reported that Sarabia was let go by a Wells Fargo branch in Charlotte, where he had worked the last four years.

The outlet was told by a source that the decision was based on prosecutors reopening the investigation on Monday and considering filing criminal charges.