Accuser in Cornell 7 Lawsuit Targeted by 'Swatting' Incidents
Jane Doe's family home becomes the target of false 911 calls, including one that led police to confront her brother and boyfriend at gunpoint.
The accuser in a civil lawsuit against seven Cornell University fraternity members, referred to as Jane Doe, and her family have been subjected to multiple "swatting" incidents, including a recent one where her brother and boyfriend were held at gunpoint by police. Swatting involves making a fraudulent emergency call to dispatch armed officers to a targeted address.
Police responded to Doe's family home on October 6 after an anonymous male caller falsely reported an active shooter inside, claiming to have harmed his mother and sister. Upon arrival, officers encountered Doe's brother and boyfriend leaving the property and ordered them out of their vehicle at gunpoint. During the confrontation, Doe's father identified himself and explained that his daughter was Jane Doe, the accuser in the Cornell 7 case, and that the family was receiving threats.
Officers found no one harmed inside the residence. While police were still on the scene, the anonymous caller reportedly phoned 911 a second time, threatening to kill everyone in the home before taking his own life.
The family has reportedly received numerous threatening calls in recent weeks, with some callers reporting a fire and others threatening to bomb the residence. Doe's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, told The New Yorker that Doe has also received hundreds of harassing calls, texts, and social media messages containing death threats. In response, Doe has covered the windows of her family home with paper to prevent onlookers.
Doe alleges that she was gang-raped and sexually exploited during a party at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. The lawsuit names seven Chi Phi fraternity brothers: Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. All seven have denied the allegations, with some stating their interactions were consensual and others denying involvement.
According to the lawsuit, Doe claims the men engaged in sexual acts with her while she was incapacitated by ketamine and alcohol, and that other individuals entered the room while she had lost consciousness. The suit also alleges that Snapchat messages describing Doe as sexually available circulated among fraternity members without her knowledge.
Doe reported the alleged assault to Cornell police in November 2024, three weeks after the incident. Campus police investigated and forwarded their findings to the district attorney's office, which declined to press criminal charges. Cornell University conducted its own Title IX investigation.
The Chi Phi chapter at Cornell was shut down, and the university has stated that some students were expelled while others were suspended. Doe left Cornell a few months after reporting the assault and attempted to start a new life in New York City, but has since returned to her family home.
In response to the ongoing issues, Cornell University announced new measures, including suspending all parties and social events at fraternity houses through the end of the 2026-27 academic year and implementing a zero-tolerance policy for violations. University President Michael Kotlikoff also committed to allowing New York State Police to investigate sexual assault allegations independently and to adding a case manager to assist those reporting sexual misconduct.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul removed the Tompkins County District Attorney from the case following public outcry over the lack of charges. The investigation is now being led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Cornell has retained former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent review of the university's response.