A woman identified as Jane Doe has accused seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell University of gang rape during an October 2024 incident. Although Cornell University permanently closed the fraternity and expelled several students, criminal prosecutors declined to file charges.
The Snapchat group that advertised 'free p***y'
The lawsuit filed by Jane Doe alleges that seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell University committed a gang rape in October 2024. according to the report, the assault occurred after Jane Doe was allegedly coerced into using ketamine and marijuana at an off-campus fraternity house, leaving her in a state of severe disorientation.
The Chi Phi fraternity allegedly used a Snapchat group to promote the attack in real-time. Members of the group reportedly described the victim as "free p***y" and encouraged other fraternity brothers to join the assault by telling them to "walk in and whip it out."
Expulsions for Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell
Cornell University took disciplinary action in 2025 following a Title IX investigation, which resulted in the permanent closure of the Chi Phi fraternity. The university's internal findings led to varying levels of punishment for the men involved in the allegations.
The university expelled Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell, while Winston Lee and Gillio Lopes were suspended before eventually re-enrolling, as the report says.. Diego Sarabia was banned from the Cornell University campus after graduating, whereas Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar were cleared of responsibility for the sexual activity and faced no academic sanctions.
Rebranding a gang rape as a 'consensual orgy'
Police records indicate that members of the Chi Phi fraternity attempted to obstruct justice by silencing a female witness who had knowledge of the October 2024 events.. This effort to protect the fraternity's reputation involved a coordinated attempt to align the stories of the accused men.
The report says that the fraternity held a meeting to synchronize stories, attempting to rebrand the gang rape as a "consensual orgy" to avoid the legal and social fallout. Internal text messages between fraternity officials and Matthew Ingalls further suggest a calculated plan to manage the situation after the victim reported the incident .
The seven-hour sit-in at Toni Morrison Dining Hall
Student activists at Cornell University organized a seven-hour sit-in at the Toni Morrison Dining Hall to protest the handling of the Jane Doe case. each hour of the protest was dedicated to one of the seven accused men,serving as a symbolic demand for accountability.
This protest reflects a wider national trend of outrage over the perceived protection of Ivy League students by university administrations and local legal authorities. the disparity between the university's decision to expel students and the state's decision not to prosecute has become a focal point for campus activists.
Why prosecutors found insufficient evidence for criminal charges
A critical gap remains regarding why prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to move forward with criminal sexual assault charges despite the university's findings. While Cornell University found enough evidence to expel students, the legal threshold for criminal prosecution was apparently not met.
It remains unclear who the female witness was or why her testimony did not lead to criminal indictments, and the source does not provide a statement from the prosecutors' office. this lack of transparency leaves open the question of whether the evidence from the Snapchat group and the witness tampering was fully considered by the District Attorney.
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