Cornell Fraternity Brothers Accused of Gang Rape Allegedly Tried to Silence Witness, Records Show

Seven members of Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity are accused of gang rape, with police records indicating that the students allegedly attempted to silence a witness to protect their fraternity's reputation. The allegations surfaced after Jane Doe filed a lawsuit last month, claiming she was coerced into taking drugs and sexually assaulted by the fraternity members at an off-campus house in 2024. At the time, prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal sexual assault charges.

Cornell University launched a Title IX investigation into the students in 2025 and subsequently shut down the fraternity. Of the seven men accused, Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell were expelled, Winston Lee and Gillio Lopes were suspended and have since re-enrolled, Diego Sarabia graduated but was banned from campus, and Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar were found not responsible for sexual activity, facing no expulsion or suspensions. All have denied wrongdoing.

Jane Doe's lawsuit has sparked national outrage, leading to a planned seven-hour sit-in by students on Wednesday, with each hour dedicated to one of the accused men. The protest began at 1:30 p.m. ET at the Toni Morrison Dining Hall and is scheduled to last until 8:30 p.m.

Records obtained by ABC News reveal that Cornell police received a tip suggesting the fraternity brothers sought to silence a potential witness after Doe filed her police report. According to the records, following a campus-wide alert about a reported rape on November 8, 2024, Chi Phi allegedly asked a potential witness to remain silent to prevent harm to the reputation of those involved and the fraternity.

The witness reportedly informed the police about the fraternity's alleged actions. She claimed that the brothers discussed the incident internally, attempting to frame it as a "consensual orgy" while expressing concern about its impact on their public image. Group messages were allegedly exchanged among members regarding the situation.

During a police interview, two fraternity brothers stated that the incident was not the specific subject of a meeting, but rather came up during a regular weekly chapter meeting. Text messages reviewed by investigators show fraternity leadership inquiring about Ingalls's last contact with Jane Doe, to which Ingalls replied, "Yesterday... what's the plan of action? Should I call [her]? I don't think she would have reported this."

Doe's lawsuit details that the events of October 19, 2024, began with underage drinking at local bars before she was invited to an afterparty at the Chi Phi fraternity house. She claims she was pressured to consume ketamine and marijuana, leading to disorientation as more men joined. The lawsuit alleges that messages were sent to the fraternity's active-members Snapchat group stating there was "free p***y upstairs," inviting others to enter the room. The messages allegedly included invitations to "walk in and whip it out."

Doe states she lost consciousness around 5:45 a.m. on October 20, 2024, and eventually returned to her sorority house. She reported the incident to the police three weeks later. Notably, during Cornell's Title IX investigation, Ingalls claimed he was assaulted by Jane Doe, emailing investigators, "After all, you received information that I was sodomized by her while I was incapacitated back in November, and you never once thought to alert me of my rights under these procedures as a survivor of this assault?"