Cornell Grad Doxxed, Suspended From Job After False Link to Fraternity Rape Allegations

A Cornell University graduate was suspended from his job and faced severe online harassment after being mistakenly linked to a lawsuit alleging gang rape within the Chi Phi fraternity. The individual, identified only as 'B' in reporting by The New Yorker, had already graduated from Cornell before the alleged 2024 incident.

B was not present at the Chi Phi party where the alleged gang rape occurred and had no prior knowledge of group chats discussing the event until the lawsuit surfaced. He reportedly texted a fraternity leader friend, expressing concern and hoping that those involved had been expelled from the fraternity.

However, following the filing of the lawsuit by accuser Jane Doe, which names seven fraternity brothers and accuses the university of mishandling her complaint, B's name appeared in a viral TikTok video. The video, which claimed to identify the fraternity members involved, quickly garnered millions of views and led online users to identify and disseminate B's personal information, including his address and place of employment.

B described the experience as a "a bomb went off," as his employer began receiving anonymous messages falsely connecting him to the incident. He was subsequently placed on paid leave from his position, which was described as client-facing and requiring a degree of trust. Despite his employer knowing he had graduated prior to the event, he was asked to provide proof that he was never part of the group chat, a request he found difficult to fulfill without legal recourse to access Snapchat records.

Following the doxing, B's defamation attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to the creator of a website that had compiled the names of falsely implicated individuals. The website subsequently removed B's name and others who had been mistakenly identified. While considering a public statement, B refrained, fearing it would forever tie him to the story despite his innocence.

The harassment extended to B's family. His social media accounts were deactivated, but loved ones, including his mother, received abusive messages. "They couldn’t get to me, they just tried to get to anyone adjacent to me. It spread all the way out," he told The New Yorker.

This incident follows a similar case where an active-duty U.S. Marine Corps sergeant with the same name as one of the defendants in Doe's lawsuit was mistakenly served legal documents. Matthew Ingalls, 23, who has no affiliation with Cornell or the case, and his family reportedly faced death threats after his address was incorrectly listed in court filings.

The seven men named in Jane Doe's lawsuit have denied any wrongdoing, and no criminal charges have been filed. A criminal investigation was reportedly reopened after Doe came forward with her lawsuit against Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity, and the alleged perpetrators.