Cornell University Suspends Fraternity Parties Amid Gang-Rape Allegations
New York State Police and Attorney General Join Reopened Investigation into Seven Accused Men
Carla Rooney
Cornell University has suspended all fraternity social events for the remainder of the academic year.
The ban follows gang-rape allegations made by a former student, identified as Jane Doe, which led to a civil lawsuit.
Cornell will involve the New York State Police in investigating sex crimes on campus; Governor Kathy Hochul appointed State Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor for the case.
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the criminal investigation after the lawsuit became public.
The District Attorney had initially declined to prosecute the seven men following the alleged gang rape in 2024.
The alleged sexual assault reportedly lasted for seven hours; Jane Doe stated she arrived at the fraternity house after consuming alcohol.
The accused men are Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar; none of the seven men have been charged with a crime.
Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell were listed as safety monitors for the night of the alleged incident.
Jonathan Newell allegedly posted in a fraternity Snapchat group that there was 'free p*y' upstairs around 1:42am. Matthew Ingalls reportedly replied to fraternity group chat messages about the events by saying: 'Boys, come whip it out.'
Two men accused in the lawsuit were expelled by Cornell after an internal investigation.
These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue.
The suspension of parties is subject to a 'zero tolerance' policy for violations. The university is adding a case manager to the Office of Civil Rights to assist sexual misconduct reporters.
Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates is leading an independent probe into Cornell's handling of sexual assault cases.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten's office received a six-page statement from the victim and Snapchat messages related to the alleged assault.
The bar has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the allegations.