Jane Doe Claims False Transgender Accusations Amid College Rape Allegations

The accuser in a civil lawsuit alleging gang rape by seven Cornell University fraternity brothers has revealed she previously endured false accusations of being transgender. The woman, referred to as Jane Doe, also stated through her attorney that she has refused to accept money from supporters who established fundraising pages on her behalf.

Newly surfaced text messages show Doe discussing past rumors that falsely identified her as transgender with Umar Matthew Ingalls, one of the accused fraternity members. In these messages, Doe expressed frustration with the rumors, telling Ingalls that she had previously given them no attention and they had disappeared. She later wrote that she had faced transgender allegations the previous year and would point to the fact that she had been rumored about many times, knowing she was not transgender.

Doe filed a civil lawsuit claiming she was coerced into taking drugs and sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at an off-campus house in October 2024. The incident has drawn significant public attention and condemnation.

In addition to discussing the alleged transgender rumors, Doe also communicated with another accused student, Jonathan Newell, seeking help to find earrings she lost during the period of the alleged assault. Texts from late October 2024 show Doe asking Newell if he had found the earrings, which were a gift from her mother.

Doe's attorney, Whitney Seals, described her client as humble and inspiring in her handling of the situation. "If there's one thing I can tell you about Jane Doe. It's that she is awfully humble and has proceeded through this with a humility that is inspiring to me," Seals told The Cornell Daily Sun.

By November 7, Doe sought medical attention at an Ithaca emergency room and underwent a rape kit examination. She reported the alleged assault to the police the following day. Following her report, the accused students' fraternity was suspended. Although prosecutors initially declined to file charges, Cornell University initiated a Title IX investigation, which led to the expulsion of Ingalls and Newell from the university. The case has since been reopened, and a special prosecutor has been appointed to investigate.

The seven men accused in the lawsuit, including Ingalls, Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar, have all denied the allegations against them. The fallout from the case has sparked national outrage regarding the handling of the investigation by both the university and law enforcement.