Prosecutors in Central New York are reopening a troubling investigation into accusations that seven Cornell University fraternity brothers severely drugged and gang-raped a former student.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten mentioned that his office is looking into potential criminal charges tied to the case, largely fueled by public outrage stemming from details in a civil lawsuit filed by the survivor.
The lawsuit claims that a victim, referred to as Jane Doe, was forced to take drugs and assaulted repeatedly by several men—Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar—at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024.
Cornell University has not commented on the lawsuit, particularly regarding the alleged offer made to students to write an “essay” as a way to lessen their punishment after the horrifying accusations surfaced.
There are screenshots included in the lawsuit that reflect a Snapchat message from Newell, which allegedly invited other fraternity brothers to partake in the abuse, mentioning “free p—y” to his group of “Chi Phi Actives.”
However, Van Houten noted that the claims in the civil lawsuit differ significantly from the account the woman provided after the alleged incident.
“We plan to present this case to the Tompkins County grand jury with Jane Doe’s cooperation,” he said. “We want to look for any additional evidence that might have come to light since November 2024, which could change our understanding of this case and support a finding of criminal activity.”
An attorney for Jane Doe, Thomas P. Giuffra, challenged Van Houten’s interpretation of her statement. He stated that authorities did not follow up adequately, particularly by failing to connect Jane with someone trained in handling sexual abuse cases.
“Dealing with an abuse survivor requires a level of care and understanding that an average university officer might lack. It should be a specially trained detective or district attorney doing the follow-up. Yet, Ms. Doe was never approached by anyone with that expertise,” he pointed out.
Van Houten did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
