A lawsuit filed last month alleges that Jane Doe, a former Cornell student, was drugged and gang raped in October 2024 by seven members of the now-defunct Chi Phi fraternity. The allegations have not led to criminal charges, and the men deny wrongdoing.
Matthew Ingalls, one of the accused, told investigators he was too intoxicated to consent and described himself as the victim. In an email to Cornell’s Title IX investigator, he accused the university of entrapment and suggested he might file his own complaint against Doe.
ABC News documents indicate that fraternity leaders asked a potential witness to remain silent, citing concerns that the incident would damage the fraternity’s reputation. Cornell police received a tip that someone had been told to stay quiet after a campus‑wide alert about a reported rape at the frat.
A female student testified that the fraternity described the incident as a consensual orgy but feared negative publicity. Text messages between the fraternity president and Ingalls show the president asking when he last spoke to Jane Doe and discussing whether to contact her, implying an attempt to manage the situation.
No criminal charges have been filed against Ingalls or the other men, and their lawyers deny any wrongdoing. The university has suspended the Chi Phi chapter, expelled two members, and is conducting a months‑long investigation. Cornell’s president, Michael Kotlikoff, released a video acknowledging the difficulty of the case and pledged an independent review, while Governor Kathy Hochul has directed the state attorney general to take over the criminal investigation.
The case continues to attract national attention as the university and state authorities work to clarify the events and determine appropriate actions.
