Cornell Expels Fraternity Member Over Sexual Assault Allegations

Jonathan Newell, a member of the group dubbed the "Cornell 7," has been expelled from Cornell University following a Title IX investigation into allegations of sexual assault. His expulsion stems from findings that he engaged in sexual activity with an accuser, identified as Jane Doe, without her affirmative consent, according to her attorney, Thomas Giuffra.

Doe alleges in a civil lawsuit that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity after a party in October 2024. Giuffra stated that text messages, which were part of the Title IX process, played a role in the decision to expel Newell after twelve days of hearings and extensive evidence.

"It is undisputed that the Hearing Panel found that Mr. Newell violated Ms. Doe's bodily safety in commencing intercourse without her consent," Giuffra told TMZ. He added that the panel also found Newell's actions in sharing a photo of Doe on a bed with a sexually explicit message on Snapchat contributed to further assaults by at least three other individuals unknown to Doe.

The accuser's attorney noted that Doe's allegations are supported by a significant amount of evidence in the civil lawsuit. Giuffra explained that Doe's communications with Newell and another accused fraternity member, Matthew Ingalls, which appeared to downplay the incident, are consistent with "delayed recognition" of trauma, a phenomenon where survivors take time to process and identify an assault as rape.

Giuffra elaborated that survivors may experience shock, dissociation, or self-blame, especially when the perpetrator is known to them, leading them to second-guess their perception. He also cited the role of alcohol and drugs, which can cause confusion and memory gaps, obscuring the reality of non-consensual acts.

Newell, Ingalls, and the other five fraternity members named in the lawsuit—Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar—have denied the allegations. Local prosecutors have declined to press criminal charges. However, the allegations prompted Cornell to initiate its Title IX investigation.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James to investigate whether Doe was a victim of a crime.