Cornell Fraternity Held Secret Meetings to Conceal Gang Rape Allegations, Lawyer Claims
The accuser's attorney alleges Chi Phi fraternity members convened to coordinate a cover-up rather than seek justice.
Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity held emergency meetings to strategize how to conceal allegations of a student being drugged and gang-raped at their house, according to the attorney for the accuser, identified as Jane Doe.
Thomas Giuffra, Doe's lawyer, told CNN that the fraternity convened after his client reported the alleged sexual assault to campus police. "The whole fraternity had meetings to try and cover this up and to be part of the conspiracy of silence," Giuffra stated. He added that 57 individuals were part of a group chat discussing the situation, and none, apart from the person who leaked information, took action. Giuffra learned of the meetings on Tuesday.
Documents obtained by ABC News indicate that the fraternity attempted to control the narrative surrounding the alleged assault, fearing damage to their reputation and that of those involved. Reports suggest they tried to portray the incident as a "consensual orgy."
One student told Cornell investigators that "Chi Phi held a meeting essentially to get all of the men on the same page about what happened" and confirmed the existence of group messages regarding the situation. However, Chi Phi brothers interviewed by campus police claimed the incident was not a specific topic of discussion during their weekly meetings, but rather came up casually.
Messages between Matthew Ingalls, one of the brothers accused of the assault, and fraternity leadership revealed concerns about the fallout. In one exchange, the Chi Phi president asked Ingalls about his last conversation with Doe and the plan of action, questioning if Ingalls should contact her, adding, "I don’t think she would have reported this."
Ingalls was also reportedly involved in sending messages within a fraternity group chat of over 50 members, which allegedly invited others to participate in sexual activity with Doe. Some messages reportedly included phrases like "come whip it out" after another member mentioned "free p—y."
Doe alleges she was so intoxicated that she could not resist when brothers entered an upstairs bedroom at the now-closed fraternity house and engaged in sexual activity with her. She maintains she was unable to consent and considers the incident rape.