Cornell Fraternity Brother Claims He Was Too Intoxicated to Consent, Suggests He Was the Victim
One of seven Chi Phi fraternity members accused in a gang-rape case told police he was too impaired by alcohol and ketamine to consent to sex, according to records.
A member of the group known as the "Cornell 7" accused in an alleged gang-rape has claimed to campus police that he was too intoxicated to consent to sexual activity, suggesting he was the victim. Matthew Ingalls, one of seven Chi Phi fraternity brothers at the center of a high-profile case at Cornell University, told Cornell University police that he was too impaired by alcohol and ketamine to consent to sex on the night in question in 2024.
Ingalls reportedly suggested that the accuser, a then-20-year-old student identified as Jane Doe in court documents, was the one who assaulted him, rather than the other way around as she has alleged. Ingalls had previously been identified as the fraternity brother who sent messages in a group chat to his friends, saying, “come whip it out” after another member announced there was “free p—sy” available in the house.
Records indicate Ingalls was the individual who initially invited Doe to the fraternity house and propositioned her for a threesome, an encounter that allegedly escalated with other fraternity members entering the room to have sex with her. Documents released by the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office state that Doe was allegedly plied with alcohol and ketamine, which she claims rendered her incapable of consenting.
At one point during the alleged encounter, Ingalls reportedly fell asleep, and another brother allegedly took his place. Ingalls later awoke and allegedly rejoined the sexual activity.
Currently, neither Ingalls nor the other six fraternity members have faced criminal charges. The local District Attorney previously stated there was insufficient evidence to pursue a case. However, this changed after Doe filed a civil lawsuit last month. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced he was reopening the probe into the case, citing new details presented in the lawsuit.
The case has drawn significant attention, with the Cornell president issuing a statement acknowledging the need for improvement within the university's response to such incidents. The accuser reportedly came forward to authorities after seeing messages that bragged about the alleged sexual assault.