Cornell Fraternity Rape Case: DA Reopens Probe Into Alleged 2024 Gang Rape After Lawsuit Sparks Outrage

Cornell sexual assault case reopened after new lawsuit

New York: Authorities in New York have reopened their investigation into allegations of a 2024 sexual assault involving seven members of Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity, after a civil lawsuit brought renewed public attention to the case.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office is reexamining the allegations and intends to present the matter to a grand jury with the cooperation of the former student, identified as Jane Doe in court documents. Prosecutors are assessing whether additional evidence could support criminal charges.

The allegations have not been established as facts in court, and no criminal charges have been filed against the seven men named in the lawsuit.

What does the lawsuit allege?

The former Cornell student filed a civil lawsuit in New York Supreme Court earlier in September. According to the complaint, she was 20 years old and a Cornell student when the alleged incident occurred at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca on October 19, 2024.

The lawsuit alleges that she had been drinking before going to the fraternity house and was later pressured into consuming a substance that she was told was ketamine. It alleges that she subsequently became incapacitated and that multiple men sexually assaulted her without her consent.

The lawsuit names Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar as defendants.

Snapchat message becomes part of renewed scrutiny

A significant element of the civil complaint is an alleged message in a Snapchat group used by fraternity members.

According to the lawsuit, one fraternity member allegedly posted a message inviting others to come upstairs while the woman was at the house. The complaint includes an alleged screenshot of the message.

Van Houten said this group-chat material had not previously been provided to prosecutors and that the information contained in the new lawsuit differs substantially from what investigators reviewed in 2024.

Why was the investigation reopened?

The district attorney's office had previously reviewed the case in November 2024 but did not bring criminal charges.

Van Houten told ABC News that the woman's original account to authorities did not allege that she had unknowingly been drugged, forced to engage in sexual activity or rendered physically helpless or unconscious. He said prosecutors now want to determine whether additional evidence has emerged that could change that assessment.

The attorney representing Jane Doe, Thomas P. Giuffra, disputed the prosecutor's characterization of his client's initial account. He argued that authorities did not conduct a follow-up interview with her involving a detective or prosecutor specially trained to handle sexual-abuse allegations.

Cornell's response

Cornell University said it investigated and adjudicated the allegations through its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

The university said the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remains barred from campus. Cornell has declined to disclose details of disciplinary action involving individual students, citing federal privacy requirements.

The civil lawsuit has also intensified public scrutiny of how universities and law-enforcement agencies respond to allegations of sexual assault.

Grand jury could consider the case

The reopening of the investigation does not mean criminal charges have been filed. Prosecutors will first reassess the available evidence and determine whether the matter should proceed before a grand jury.

The DA's office has said it intends to present the case to the grand jury with Jane Doe's cooperation. The accused individuals remain entitled to due process, and the allegations in the civil lawsuit remain allegations unless established through legal proceedings.