Cornell students stage sit-in protest over alleged gang rape handling

Cornell students are staging a seven-hour sit-in to protest how authorities handled an alleged gang rape case involving members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The demonstration took place at the Toni Morrison Dining Hall on Wednesday, with each accused man receiving one hour of attention. Police records indicate that after Jane Doe filed her report, fraternity brothers allegedly tried to silence a potential witness to protect their reputation.

The controversy began last month when the victim sued the university, claiming she was coerced into taking drugs and sexually assaulted by seven men at an off-campus house in 2024. Prosecutors initially found insufficient evidence for criminal charges, but Cornell launched a Title IX investigation that led to the suspension or shutdown of the fraternity. Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell were expelled. Winston Lee and Gillio Lopes faced suspensions before re-enrolling. Diego Sarabia had already graduated but was banned from campus. Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar were found not responsible for sexual activity and avoided expulsion or suspension. All seven men deny the allegations.

A woman who witnessed the events told police that Chi Phi held a meeting specifically to get everyone on the same page about what happened. She said group messages circulated regarding the situation. According to her account, the brothers described the incident as a consensual orgy but worried it would ruin their image. One fraternity brother claimed during an interview that the issue came up during a regular weekly chapter meeting rather than a specific gathering about the assault. He stated they got through a bunch of other stuff before addressing it.

Text messages reveal leadership contacting Ingalls immediately after the campus alert on November 8, 2024. A message asked when he last spoke to Jane Doe. His reply was immediate: Yesterday... what's the plan of action? Should I call her? The witness reported this attempt at suppression to police, sparking national outrage over how the case was managed.

She wouldn't have reported it," the statement claims. This line of thinking surfaces just as records show Cornell police got a tip that two men tried to shut down a witness to shield their fraternity's standing after Jane Doe filed her report. One of those men allegedly wrote in the Chi Phi fraternity's active Snapchat group that there was 'free p***y' upstairs, referring to the accuser. The filing included a picture of that chat.

Jane Doe said the night of October 19, 2024, started with underage drinking at bars with sorority sisters before she headed to an afterparty at the Chi Phi fraternity house. She 'stumbled alone' to find her friend, Ingalls. She agreed to have sex with him and another man but alleged that pressure mounted on her to snort ketamine and smoke marijuana as she grew heavily intoxicated.

She claimed disorientation hit hard while other men joined in. At the same time, the men sent a message to the Chi Phi Snapchat group saying there was 'free p***y upstairs' to invite others into the room. The messages also allegedly offered an invitation to 'walk in and whip it out,' according to the lawsuit.

The night ended around 5:45 am on October 20, 2024, when she lost consciousness before returning to her sorority house. Three weeks later, she told police what happened, yet prosecutors declined charges citing 'insufficient evidence.'

During Cornell's Title IX probe, Ingalls said he was assaulted by Jane Doe. "After all, you received information that I was sodomized by her while I was incapacitated back in November, and you never once thought to alert me of my rights under these procedures as a survivor of this assault?" Ingalls wrote in an email. "The very fact that I had to bring this to your attention now in February confirms my worst fears: That this process is rolled [sic] with gender discrimination.