Cornell Sexual-Assault Case Returns to Spotlight as Prosecutors Reopen Investigation
A 2024 sexual-assault case involving seven former members of Cornell University’s Chi Phi fraternity has returned to national attention after a former student filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by the men.
The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, was 20 at the time of the alleged incident. According to the lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court on September 14, 2026, the incident occurred at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York, during the night of October 19 and into October 20, 2024. The complaint alleges that she had been drinking before arriving at the fraternity house and was later pressured to consume ketamine, marijuana and additional alcohol.
The seven men named as defendants are Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar. Their names appear in the civil complaint and have also been reported by The Cornell Daily Sun and other established news organisations.
According to the complaint, the alleged assault continued for several hours. It also describes a Snapchat group chat involving fraternity members. The lawsuit says Johnathan Newell posted a message inviting other members upstairs, after which additional men allegedly entered the room. The complaint further alleges that the seven defendants participated in drug use and sexual activity involving Jane Doe while she was unable to consent. These are allegations contained in a civil filing and have not been established by a court.
Jane Doe reported the incident to Cornell University Police in November 2024. A later account of her police interview reported by CBS News stated that she told investigators she was “100% confident” she had been raped. However, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said his office’s 2024 review relied on a six-page sworn statement and that the transcript containing that statement was not provided to prosecutors at the time. Cornell, meanwhile, says its police department supplied the victim’s sworn statement and the Snapchat screenshot to the district attorney’s office in November 2024. The conflicting accounts are now part of the renewed scrutiny of the investigation.
No criminal charges were filed in 2024. Van Houten said prosecutors concluded that the information available to them at the time did not establish a criminal violation under New York law. New York law provides that lack of consent can result from incapacity, including mental incapacitation or physical helplessness, but the precise facts and applicable legal standard remain matters for the renewed investigation.
Following the filing of the civil lawsuit, Van Houten announced on September 28 that his office had reopened the criminal investigation and would take the case toward a grand-jury review. Reuters reported on October 1 that prosecutors were continuing to investigate the allegations and that no criminal charges had been announced.
Cornell University has said it conducted its own Title IX investigation following the 2024 report. The university permanently barred the Chi Phi chapter from campus and said students involved received different sanctions, including suspensions and expulsions. Cornell has rejected the suggestion that writing essays was the only punishment and says federal privacy laws prevent it from publicly detailing each student’s disciplinary outcome.
Several of the defendants have publicly disputed the allegations. Attorneys representing Gillio Lopes, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar have denied the allegations or challenged the account presented in the lawsuit. Kretzschmar’s attorney has specifically said his client denies sexual contact and drug use described in the complaint.
The controversy has now expanded beyond the criminal and civil cases. New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office is reviewing Cornell’s handling of the allegations, while Governor Kathy Hochul has called for an independent examination. On September 30, Cornell agreed to an independent review by outside counsel.
The case has reignited a wider conversation about sexual violence on university campuses, the meaning of consent when a person is intoxicated or incapacitated, the responsibilities of universities when allegations are reported, and how victims’ accounts are investigated.
For students and survivors, the case also highlights the importance of taking reports of sexual violence seriously, preserving potential evidence and ensuring that people who come forward have access to appropriate medical, psychological and legal support.
Important legal note: The seven named men are defendants in a civil lawsuit, not convicted perpetrators. The allegations against them remain unresolved, and the criminal investigation is ongoing.
By Nicolies Gogo.
