A former Cornell University student has filed a lawsuit against the university and seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, alleging that she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house in October 2024, CBS News reported.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, was 20 years old at the time of the alleged incident. According to the complaint, she had been drinking at her sorority and later went to a nightclub before visiting the Chi Phi house in Ithaca alone on the night of October 19 to meet a friend.
The lawsuit alleges that two fraternity members gave her a substance they told her was ketamine before sexually assaulting her. One of the accused men allegedly later posted a message in a Snapchat group called “Chi Phi Actives” referring to “free p—-” upstairs.
The seven men named in the lawsuit are Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar.
According to the complaint, other fraternity members later entered the room and allegedly assaulted Doe. The lawsuit says the incident continued until around 5:45 am.
Doe reported the alleged assault to Cornell University Police about three weeks later, CBS News reported.
Her lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, said Cornell’s disciplinary process resulted in only two of the seven men being expelled. The others, he said, received lesser punishments, including suspensions, workshops or writing essays. None of the seven men were arrested, according to Giuffra.
What happened after the complaint
Cornell launched an internal investigation into the allegations, which involved at least 12 hearings.
The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office said it reviewed the police investigation but concluded there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges.
Doe later left Cornell, according to her attorney.
“There were so many people that could have prevented it and they didn’t,” Giuffra told CBS News.
Cornell’s response
Cornell said its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and adjudicated the allegations under university policies.
The university said the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remains barred from campus. Cornell cited federal privacy laws for not disclosing details about disciplinary measures taken against individual students.
The university also said it has established a task force on sexual assault following the incident and made changes to its policies and resources.
Chi Phi’s response
Chi Phi’s national headquarters said the allegations were “deeply concerning” and that the fraternity strongly condemns sexual violence.
The organisation said its principles of “Truth, Honour and Personal Integrity” require members to respect the safety and dignity of others. It declined to comment on the specific allegations because the case is now before the courts.
The lawsuit names Cornell and the seven men as defendants and accuses them of negligence, breach of contract and violations of state law. Doe is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, although the lawsuit does not specify an amount.
The seven men named in the lawsuit have not been criminally charged in connection with the allegations.