Stories
Cornell Sexual Assault Accusations: Accused Students Give Conflicting Accounts
- •Confidential university records reveal conflicting accounts from men accused of sexually assaulting a Cornell student at a fraternity house.
- •Jane Doe, the alleged victim, claims she was drugged and repeatedly assaulted after heavy drinking at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.
- •While four men admitted to sexual contact, they maintained it was consensual; others denied involvement, and most claimed Jane Doe did not appear heavily intoxicated.
- •One accused student, Gillio Lopes, stated Jane Doe initiated sexual contact without his consent, while another, Winston Lee, claimed she attempted to initiate sex with him.
- •A Snapchat message advertising ‘free pussy’ allegedly drew more fraternity members to the room, further complicating the differing narratives.
Key Questions Answered
A former Cornell University student identified as Jane Doe alleged that she was given drugs after heavy drinking and sexually assaulted multiple times by fraternity members at the Chi Phi house in October 2024. She subsequently left the university, filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell, her sorority, the fraternity, and seven members, and the case prompted prosecutors to reconsider criminal charges.
All the accused men denied wrongdoing during Cornell’s investigation, though their accounts frequently contradicted one another and the woman's claims. Four acknowledged sexual contact but stated it was consensual, while others denied participating in encounters, and most claimed she did not appear heavily intoxicated.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten decided to reopen the investigation and consider whether criminal charges were warranted following the filing of a civil lawsuit that brought new details, civil complaints, and Snapchat messages to light.
