Cornell Frat Brother Accused School of "Gender Discrimination" After Sex Assault Allegations

The fraternity brother at the center of the "Cornell 7" gang-rape allegations claimed to campus officials that the accuser "sodomized" him and that the school did not acknowledge his status as a sex-assault "survivor," according to a report.

Matthew Ingalls, a Chi Phi brother, made these assertions in an email to campus officials, stating that Cornell University was guilty of "gender discrimination" and "entrapment" during its investigation into him and six other fraternity brothers.

The email was sent in February 2025, three months after the woman, identified as Jane Doe in a civil lawsuit, accused Ingalls of inviting her to his fraternity house, plying her with drugs and alcohol, and then engaging in sexual activity that escalated into multiple fraternity members joining.

Doe alleged that she was too intoxicated to consent and that the incident constituted rape. She reported the alleged attack to campus police in 2024, approximately three weeks after it occurred.

Ingalls, who was also reportedly consuming drugs and alcohol that night, attempted to frame his own intoxication as a basis for claiming he was the victim, according to Cornell investigative documents.

Following Doe's allegations, the Chi Phi fraternity reportedly took steps to control the narrative. An anonymous caller informed campus police that fraternity leadership had convened a meeting to ensure consistent accounts of the events. ABC News reported that the fraternity attempted to frame the incident as a "consensual orgy."

A female student told Cornell investigators that Chi Phi held a meeting to "get all of the men on the same page about what happened," adding that brothers were concerned about the potential damage to their reputation.

Despite these accounts, some fraternity brothers interviewed by campus police maintained that the incident was only mentioned in a routine weekly chapter meeting, not a specifically called meeting.

However, messages exchanged between Ingalls and fraternity leadership suggested a more coordinated effort. In one exchange, the Chi Phi president asked Ingalls about his last contact with Doe and their "plan of action."

Ingalls was also among the brothers accused of sending messages in a group chat inviting others to join in sexual activity with Doe. He allegedly told friends to "come whip it out" after another member posted about "free p—y."

Doe stated she was disoriented by drugs and unable to resist as fraternity members entered the room. The local Tompkins County District Attorney's Office declined to file charges, citing a statement from Doe admitting to willingly consuming alcohol and drugs at the start of the night, which they concluded made her legally responsible for her subsequent decisions.

Cornell University expelled Ingalls and another brother, who an internal investigation found responsible for sexual assault. The other five accused brothers were suspended or faced lesser penalties.

All seven brothers have denied raping Doe, and none have faced criminal charges. However, prosecutors have reportedly reopened their review of the case following the revelation of the "free p—y" text messages in Doe's lawsuit.