Cornell 7 rape case: prosecutor reopens investigation into frat house assault

Prosecutors in New York are reconsidering criminal charges after a civil lawsuit accused seven Cornell frat members of drugging and gang-raping a student in 2024.

Cornell frat rape investigation reopened as civil lawsuit details 2024 assault

Prosecutors in Tompkins County, New York, are reopening a criminal investigation into allegations that seven Cornell University fraternity members drugged and gang-raped a former student, The Sun reports. The move follows widespread public outrage after a 101-page civil lawsuit was filed against the men in September.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten told ABC News that his office is considering bringing criminal charges related to the case. "It's our intention to present the case to the Tompkins County grand jury with Jane Doe's cooperation," Van Houten said. "We want to reexamine whether there's additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment of the case and would result in the grand jury finding that there was criminal conduct."

The civil suit, filed on 14 September and first reported by The Post on 18 September, names seven former Chi Phi fraternity members: Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar. The accuser is identified only as Jane Doe.

The alleged assault

According to court documents, the incident began as an evening out with sorority sisters before the then 20-year-old met defendant Ingalls at the Chi Phi fraternity house — described in the filing as a Tudor-style mansion — on the Ivy League campus in Ithaca. When she declined his suggestion of a threesome, Ingalls allegedly pressured her into snorting ketamine for the first time, while she had also consumed marijuana and high-proof rum.

Ingalls and Newell then allegedly "began engaging in sexual acts with Plaintiff, all without her consent," including oral and vaginal intercourse, the filing states. As one defendant left, another — Lopes — allegedly entered to take his place.

At 1:42 a.m., Newell allegedly sent a Snapchat message referencing "free p—y" to a group chat called "Chi Phi Actives," a screenshot included in the lawsuit shows. Fraternity members subsequently poured lines of ketamine across the woman's body and snorted them, according to the documents. One defendant poured powder "onto his erect penis and commanded that Plaintiff snort it, which she did," the suit alleges. The assault is said to have continued until 5:45 a.m., after which Doe lost consciousness.

Evidence dispute between attorney and DA

Thomas P. Giuffra, the attorney representing Jane Doe, said the Snapchat group chat constituted a "critical piece of evidence" that had been handed to authorities two years ago. Van Houten, however, acknowledged that his office had never been provided the group chat and admitted that it had not independently investigated the alleged incident, relying instead on Cornell University Police's findings.

Van Houten also described the allegations in the civil complaint as "dramatically different" from Doe's original statement following the alleged assault. Giuffra disputed that characterisation and said investigators with specialised training in sexual violence had never spoken with his client.

"In my experience, speaking with an abuse survivor requires delicacy, understanding and specialised training. An average University Police officer would not have these skills," Giuffra said. "My client went to the Cornell University Police because a crime was committed. It was the obligation of the police to investigate the complaints. They were given the group chat inviting the members of the fraternity to rape my client. Despite this there was no follow-up with Ms. Doe either by the Cornell Police or the Tompkins County District Attorney."

The attack was reported to both campus and Ithaca police approximately one week after it allegedly occurred. The fraternity and all seven named defendants were placed on temporary suspensions, the lawsuit states. The university subsequently offered the accused fraternity members the opportunity to "mitigate their conduct by submitting essays," according to the filing.

Cornell's response and wider fallout

Cornell said it had investigated the allegations in line with university policy at the time and confirmed that the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remains banned from campus. "We take sexual violence extremely seriously," said Kyle Kimball, Cornell's Vice President for University Relations, in a 21 September statement. "The Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault was launched shortly after this incident and issued a report in March 2026."

That March report found that 35% of undergraduate female students at Cornell reported experiencing non-consensual sexual contact in 2025, up from 23% in 2023. The university said it could not comment further on Doe's specific allegations due to federal privacy laws and would respond "in detail through the legal process."

In the weeks since the lawsuit was filed, several lawmakers, celebrities and social media users have publicly criticised both the Cornell administration and the district attorney's office over the perceived lack of consequences for those accused.

Source: The Sun