Cornell Cancels Homecoming Concert Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
Student organizers cited support for a former student who has alleged gang rape by fraternity members.
Cornell University has canceled its annual homecoming concert, with student organizers stating their support for a former student who has alleged she was gang-raped by members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The Cornell Concert Commission, a student-run group, announced the cancellation on Friday, indicating that the event would not proceed this year.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit last month against the university, the fraternity, and seven Chi Phi members. She alleges that she was coerced into consuming drugs and alcohol at the fraternity house and was subsequently sexually assaulted by the seven accused men on October 19, 2024. The lawsuit claims the acts occurred while she was incapacitated and without her consent. She also accused one of the men of forcibly kissing her.
The seven named individuals—Umar Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar—deny the allegations. They have not been criminally charged, though the Tompkins County District Attorney's office has reopened an investigation following the lawsuit. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor.
The Cornell Concert Commission stated in an Instagram post that, as students, they stand with Jane Doe and all survivors of sexual violence. They emphasized the need to advocate for those failed by the university's administration and called for meaningful changes to protect and support survivors. The organization plans to issue refunds for tickets already purchased for the concert, which was scheduled to feature the band Between Friends. The commission also intends to organize a future charity concert to support sexual violence prevention, featuring student performers, with proceeds going to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).
When Jane Doe first reported the allegations in 2024, Ingalls and Newell were expelled by the university, according to The New York Times. Lee received a two-year suspension and disciplinary probation, Lopes was suspended for three semesters and placed on probation, and Sarabia was banned from campus for three years. Norris and Kretzschmar were also disciplined and instructed to complete educational assignments related to sexual harassment and bystander intervention.
The Chi Phi fraternity chapter has since been banned from campus following the university's investigation. Protests in support of Jane Doe have occurred on campus and in other locations across the country. The student organization expressed a desire to welcome the band Between Friends back to campus at a later date.