Cornell 7 Rape Case: Text Messages Between Jane Doe and Accused Frat Brother Revealed
Texts show Jane Doe told accused frat brother Jonathan Newell she felt "no shame" a day after the alleged gang rape. Her attorney says the messages reflect a denial phase.
Text Messages in Cornell Gang Rape Case Show Jane Doe Reassuring Accused the Day After
New screenshots of text messages exchanged between "Cornell 7" Jane Doe and accused fraternity brother Jonathan Newell show her writing "I don't think we should feel any shame" and "our body our choice" the day after the alleged gang rape at Cornell's Chi Phi house, NY Post Metro reports.
The texts, dated Oct. 21, 2024 — one day after the alleged assault on Oct. 20 — were obtained by TMZ. Some had previously been reported, in which Doe appeared to reassure Newell that the sex was consensual. The newly published screenshots provide a fuller picture of the exchange.
"My memory's kinda fuzzy"
Newell opened the conversation by apologizing for "how things went down" with Doe and fellow student Matthew Ingalls, both of whom she later accused of plying her with ketamine during a threesome that subsequently drew other fraternity brothers into the room.
"Me and Matt both feel like s–t for being too f–cked up to shut it down and kick people out before it got way out of hand," Newell wrote, according to the screenshots. "You're an amazing person and I genuinely hope ur not catching as much heat from this as we r."
Doe responded warmly: "aw jonathan i really appreciate this text. my memories super clouded too. i think we were all way to f–king drunk and high."
She went further, writing that "none of the sexual stuff was illegal" and that she "really like being w u and matt." She described the gang sex as within "their jurisdiction" — meaning hers, Newell's, and Ingalls' — and added: "I don't think we should feel any shame for the part. our body our choice asf."
Doe also shifted some responsibility toward the other brothers who entered the room: "yall were both super out of it and they should have taken it on themselves to leave. at the end of the day you, matt, and i were in your bed and they didn't need to get up on that."
She closed by consoling Newell and offering to talk: "i really do love u and matt and i promise i wont get quiet and weird w u like i did last time."
Attorney: "Denial, shame and ultimately acceptance"
Doe's attorney, Thomas Giuffra, dismissed the significance of the messages. "This was part of the processing that she was going through, denial, shame and ultimately acceptance," Giuffra told The Post.
The attorney's framing tracks with the timeline: within three weeks of that initial exchange, Doe's account shifted substantially. By Nov. 3, she texted Newell: "let's be clear that 90% of what happened that night was not consensual."
"I was given more [ketamine] than i can remember and i know that i told u i felt uncomfortable and i didn't know anyone in the room," she wrote. "all i remember after that was u giving me [ketamine] to do off your d–k in front of everyone like a sex/doll worker."
Newell replied that he had no memory of the episode, and added: "had I been less f**ked up and even somewhat aware of the situation and how out of hand it got, I would've shut it down the second guys started walking in the room."
Expulsions, declined prosecution, and a civil lawsuit
Following a private Cornell investigation, Newell and Ingalls were both expelled after being found responsible for sexual assault. The other five brothers received suspensions or lesser sanctions.
The Tompkins County District Attorney's Office declined to file criminal charges, citing a statement Doe provided to campus police that, prosecutors said, did not accuse anyone of rape and indicated she had willingly consumed alcohol and drugs throughout the night.
The case drew national attention in September when Doe filed a civil lawsuit against all seven fraternity brothers, alleging rape and sexual assault. Central to her suit was an alleged group chat in which Newell reportedly wrote that there was "free p—y" upstairs — allegedly referring to Doe — and encouraged brothers to go upstairs and join in on the sex. Doe's attorneys argue that message directly caused the additional men to enter the room.
Since the lawsuit became public last month, prosecutors have launched a new investigation into the matter. The case has also reignited a broader debate about how sexual assault allegations are handled on college campuses.
Source: NY Post Metro