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Cornell Rape Case Reopened: Prosecutors Eye Charges Against 7 Fraternity Members
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Moneycontrol•28-09-2026, 10:19
Cornell Rape Case Reopened: Prosecutors Eye Charges Against 7 Fraternity Members
- •Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has reopened an investigation into allegations that seven members of Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted a former student in 2024.
- •The decision to reopen the case follows a civil lawsuit filed by the former student, identified as Jane Doe, against Cornell University and the seven fraternity members, alleging she was drugged and assaulted in October 2024.
- •Prosecutors plan to present the case to a grand jury, considering criminal charges against Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar.
- •The investigation was reopened because the allegations in the civil lawsuit significantly differ from the initial account given to police, prompting prosecutors to reassess evidence.
- •Cornell University stated its Chi Phi chapter remains barred from campus, but declined to disclose individual disciplinary actions due to federal privacy laws.
Key Questions Answered
Prosecutors reopened the case because the allegations in a recent civil lawsuit significantly differed from the initial account the woman gave police, prompting them to determine if new evidence has emerged.
The lawsuit alleges that in October 2024, two fraternity members at the Chi Phi house gave a 20-year-old student a substance stated to be ketamine, sexually assaulted her, and that a Snapchat message invited other members upstairs to assault her as well.
Cornell University stated that it investigated and adjudicated the allegations through its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, keeping its Chi Phi chapter barred from campus.
