A Cornell student informed campus police early in the investigation of an alleged gang rape that fraternity brothers held secret meetings to cover up an "orgy" because it "would be bad for our image," according to newly obtained videos.
The unidentified student was among several interviewed by officers investigating allegations made by Jane Doe, who claims she was drugged and raped at a fraternity party.
"Chi Phi held a meeting essentially to get all of the men on the same page about what happened," the student told campus police, as reported by ABC News. She added that a fraternity brother at the party told her, "This was a consensual orgy ... but don’t spread it because it will be bad for our image."
Two unidentified fraternity brothers were later seen telling investigators that the sexual activity was consensual. One denied that the meetings were specifically to address or conceal the events.
"We didn’t have a meeting about it specifically. It was our weekly chapter meeting. We got through a bunch of stuff," one of the male students stated. Neither of the Chi Phi brothers featured in the video is accused of participating in the alleged sexual assault.
An anonymous tip received by university police indicated that fraternity leadership had asked a potential witness to remain silent, stating that "the reputation of all involved and the frat would be ruined" if the news spread. This tip came one day after a campus-wide alert was issued regarding a reported rape in October 2024.
Text messages exchanged among some fraternity brothers in the days following the party suggest an effort by Chi Phi to manage the fallout as information about the incident circulated on campus.
In one exchange, the fraternity's president asked Matthew Ingalls, who had invited Doe to the house, about his last contact with her. Ingalls replied, "Yesterday ... what’s the plan of action? Should I call [her]? I don’t think she would have reported this."
All seven fraternity brothers named in Doe's lawsuit, filed last month, deny any wrongdoing. Ingalls, in his statements to investigators, claimed he was too intoxicated to consent and portrayed himself as a victim, alleging he was "sodomized" by Jane Doe.
The lawsuit also accuses Cornell University of failing to take appropriate action after Doe reported the incident. New York Attorney General Letitia James is currently investigating the case, with Governor Kathy Hochul having transferred the investigation from local prosecutors in Tompkins County.