The plaintiff, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, was 20 years old at the time of the incident. According to the complaint, she went to the Chi Phi house in Ithaca late on October 19, 2024, after visiting a sorority and a local nightclub. Two fraternity members allegedly administered a substance she was told was ketamine before the assaults began.
Allegations and Disciplinary Fallout
The lawsuit details that one of the accused men subsequently posted a message in a Snapchat group chat titled “Chi Phi Actives” announcing that there was “free p—-” upstairs, prompting other fraternity members to enter the room. The assault allegedly continued until approximately 5:45 a.m.
Named defendants in the lawsuit include Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. None of the seven men have faced criminal charges in connection with the allegations. The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the police investigation after the victim reported the assault to Cornell University Police roughly three weeks later, but determined there was insufficient evidence to support criminal prosecution.
According to the plaintiff’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, internal university disciplinary proceedings resulted in only two of the seven accused being expelled. The remaining members received lesser punishments, including suspensions, mandatory workshops, or essay-writing assignments.
Institutional Response and Legal Claims
Cornell University stated that its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and adjudicated the allegations under campus policies. The university noted that the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remains barred from campus, and that it launched a sexual assault task force following the incident to revise policies and resources. Citing federal student privacy laws, the university declined to comment on individual disciplinary outcomes.
Chi Phi’s national headquarters released a statement describing the allegations as “deeply concerning” and emphasizing that the fraternity condemns sexual violence. The organization declined further comment due to pending litigation.
The lawsuit accuses Cornell and the individual defendants of negligence, breach of contract, and violations of state law, seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.