Cornell University’s Phi Chi fraternity reportedly held urgent meetings to strategize on how to address allegations that a student was drugged and gang raped at their residence, as stated by the accuser’s attorney.
Lawyer Thomas Giuffra, representing the accuser, identified as Jane Doe, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that after she reported the incident to campus police, the entire fraternity convened to orchestrate a cover-up and maintain silence. “It’s quite alarming that this occurred. Fifty-seven individuals received that group message, yet none—except for the one who disclosed it to her—took any action,” Giuffra noted, mentioning that he learned of these meetings just recently.
“Nobody left those discussions to say, ‘This is wrong; we need to report this to the authorities and ensure accountability,’” he added.
“Their main concern was shielding their fraternity brothers and keeping things as normal as possible, rather than seeking justice for this woman,” Giuffra remarked.
Documents initially reported by ABC News this week indicated the fraternity rushed to manage the narrative once Doe informed the police, fearing damage to the reputation of those involved and the organization itself. They attempted to characterize the incident as a “consensual orgy.”
According to a student’s statement to Cornell investigators, “Chi Phi held a meeting to ensure all the men had a uniform understanding of what transpired. I’m aware there are group chats about this situation.”
Chi Phi members interviewed by campus police stated they were not apprehensive about their night with Doe. They claimed the incident was merely mentioned in passing at a regular meeting, as per the documents.
“We didn’t have a specific meeting regarding that. It was a weekly chapter meeting. We covered a variety of topics,” one member said.
Nevertheless, communications among one of the accused, Matthew Ingalls, and fraternity leaders pointed toward significant concern. “When was the last time you spoke to [Doe]?” the fraternity president inquired of Ingalls at one point.
“Yesterday… what’s the game plan?” Ingalls replied. “Should I reach out to her? I doubt she would have reported this.”
Ingalls was also implicated in a fraternity group chat with over 50 members, where he allegedly invited others to join the encounter with Doe, telling friends to “come whip it out” after someone else noted there was “free p—y.”
Latest Updates on the ‘Cornell 7’ Fraternity Investigation:
Doe asserted that she was incapacitated due to drugs and alcohol to the extent that she could not resist when the fraternity members entered an upstairs bedroom at the now-closed fraternity house and had sex with her. She described the event as rape, stating she was too drunk to provide consent.
