New Cornell Title IX details reveal a student's account of being raped by 7 Chi Phi fraternity members. AG Letitia James is now investigating.
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The Cornell University student who accused seven fraternity members of drugging and raping her claimed she was assaulted in a closet while she was going in and out of consciousness, according to newly revealed details from the Ivy League’s investigation.
The sickening account was detailed in the months-long Title IX investigation by Cornell University into what happened on the night of Oct. 19, 2024.
The woman, identified only as Jane Doe, told campus investigators during hearings in May 2025 that she was led into a closet at the Chi Phi house by two of the fraternity brothers and repeatedly raped, even while she was blacking out.
The Chi Phi Fraternity House is pictured on the Cornell University Campus on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell has been the center of a growing scandal regarding sexual assault that was under reported at the fraternity house in 2024. Lone Pine Press for NY PostA screenshot of the “Chi Phi Actives” Snapchat group is shown on Oct. 20, 2024. According to a lawsuit, Cornell fraternity members were offered “essay” mitigation following an alleged gang rape. Obtained by NY Post“It was just raping,” she said, according to the findings obtained by CBS News.
She described to investigators that she “felt like bait.”
“I felt like lions around me. It just was a totally debilitating place to be in,” the then-sophomore said at a university hearing.
The Chi Phi students also allegedly shared a photo of Jane Doe, who was 20 at the time, in a Snapchat group message, where one of those accused texted about “free p—y,” according to the probe.
“Like you can walk in and whip it out,” one man allegedly responded to the group, CBS News reported, citing the investigation’s findings.
In another previously reported disturbing exchange, a brother asked, “Shop still open?” and another replied, “Yea.”
The Title IX investigation included hundreds of pages of interviews with Jane Doe, 20 witnesses and six of the seven men named in her civil lawsuit, which she filed in September.
Cornell University launched the Title IX probe in January 2025, after campus cops investigated her claims in November 2024 and turned over a six-page official statement to the Tompkins County district attorney for review. The DA determined that no criminal charges would be pursued.
The allegations about being raped in a closet while going in and out of consciousness were not in the statement turned over to the DA by campus police.
A poster advertising an upcoming protest for sexual assault prevention hangs on a post at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, amid the Chi Phi lawsuit. REUTERSTompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said he decided against prosecuting the case in 2024 because the student’s sworn statement to Cornell University police, while disturbing, did not accuse the male students of rape.
However, Jane Doe’s civil suit, along with newly released investigation records, brought scrutiny about the initial investigation and the DA’s decision not to prosecute.
On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul directed New York Attorney General Letitia James to take over the criminal investigation as a special prosecutor.
Van Houten had announced Sunday that his office would reopen its investigation into the allegations.
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No criminal charges have been filed, but James said her office will review the evidence and pursue prosecution if they find wrongdoing.
Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit lists seven men as defendants, including Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar.
The university has disciplined four of the men, according to Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff.
Two of the seven accused men were expelled, two were suspended for at least two semesters, one had already graduated before the university could discipline him, and two were found not responsible.
Diego Sarabia was fired from his job at a Wells Fargo branch in North Carolina after the probe was reopened, according to a report.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).
| # | Наименование новости | Тональность | Информативность | Дата публикации |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How the Cornell case is affecting women who have experienced sexual assault | 0 | 7.35 | 04-10-2026 |
| 2 | Cornell's reckonings with fraternities haven't prevented misconduct | 0 | 8.09 | 30-09-2026 |
| 3 | Letitia James appointment becomes pressure point in Cornell gang rape case | 0 | 6.89 | 13-10-2026 |
| 4 | Letitia James appointment becomes pressure point in Cornell gang rape case | 0 | 6.89 | 13-10-2026 |
| 5 | « Les 7 de Cornell » : la colère ne retombe pas à l’université entre manifestations, sit-in et dégradations | 0 | 13.53 | 08-10-2026 |
| 6 | Sexual assault reported at frat house near University of Chicago over the weekend | 0 | 4.73 | 12-10-2026 |
| 7 | Why Hochul took over Cornell rape case: 'Fresh eyes' needed, attorney says | 0 | 7.51 | 03-10-2026 |
| 8 | Police investigate report of sexual assault at fraternity party near University of Chicago | 0 | 4.62 | 15-10-2026 |
| 9 | Cornell suspends fraternity parties, gives state police role in investigating campus assault reports | 0 | 5.19 | 13-10-2026 |