A group of former Cornell University students who graduated in 2022 and 2023 is calling on the university to publicly state that they were not involved in an alleged October 2024 sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house. The men, who were members of the fraternity before graduating, say they have been wrongly identified by online users as participants in the incident, leading to professional and personal repercussions.
The request follows a civil lawsuit filed in September 2026 by a woman identified as Jane Doe. The suit alleges that seven members of the fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her over several hours on Oct. 19, 2024. According to the lawsuit, the incident involved the use of ketamine and was facilitated by messages sent to a Snapchat group chat titled "Chi Phi Actives." While campus police and the local district attorney initially brought no criminal charges, New York Attorney General Letitia James was recently appointed as special counsel to investigate the case.
In an Oct. 3 letter to Cornell’s vice president and general counsel, attorney Adam Ford stated that his clients were not enrolled at the university during the fall of 2024 and were not members of the specific Snapchat group chat mentioned in the litigation. Ford reported that his clients have faced threats, including "I will find you" and "you will never know peace," after a website dedicated to the case listed their names among former Chi Phi members. The names were removed from the site following a cease-and-desist letter sent on Oct. 2.
Ford’s letter claims that most of the men he represents have faced adverse actions from employers and educational institutions, including being placed on leave. The group is seeking a public confirmation from Cornell that former members not enrolled in fall 2024 were not part of the relevant group chat, as well as individualized private letters confirming they were not involved. A university spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the letter.
For the individuals involved, the concrete impact is a loss of income and professional standing due to what they describe as "online vigilantism." The situation highlights a day-to-day reality where digital footprints—such as past membership lists—can be used by the public to assign blame before legal proceedings conclude. The attorney for these former students argues that Cornell is "uniquely situated" to differentiate between current students present during the 2024 incident and alumni who had already left the campus. This sets a precedent for how universities manage the privacy of former students when current campus organizations face litigation or criminal probes.
What happens next depends on Cornell University's response to the Oct. 3 request for a public statement and private exoneration letters. Legally, the broader investigation continues under Attorney General Letitia James. The civil lawsuit filed in September 2026 remains active in the New York court system, naming the university, the fraternity, and seven specific individuals. The Tompkins County District Attorney also announced the reopening of a criminal investigation in late September 2026, though a specific completion date for that probe has not been reported.