Records released from a Cornell University disciplinary investigation and a civil lawsuit indicate that several students accused of sexually assaulting a former student in October 2024 took steps following the incident. The woman, identified as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit last month against Cornell and seven former students, alleging she was gang-raped for hours while incapacitated by ketamine, marijuana, and alcohol. Records reviewed by ABC News suggest members of the Chi Phi fraternity engaged in what one student called "damage control" by contacting Doe frequently in the weeks following the encounter to maintain a positive relationship with her.
The incident was first reported to Cornell police on November 8, 2024, approximately three weeks after the events at the fraternity house. Initially, the local district attorney, Matthew Van Houten, did not file criminal charges after reviewing a six-page police summary. However, a Title IX investigation conducted by the university resulted in the expulsion of two students and the suspension of others. On October 1, 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that State Attorney General Letitia James would take over as special prosecutor, stating she had lost faith in the local district attorney’s handling of the case.
Internal university documents, including transcripts of hearings and recorded phone calls, detail Doe’s account of the night. She described a state of "vague consciousness" caused by ketamine, stating she "felt like bait" while men surrounded her. Disciplinary findings noted a Snapchat group chat titled "Chi Phi Actives" where messages were sent at 1:42 a.m. using vulgar language to indicate the woman was available for sexual activity. One message stated, "Like you can walk in and whip it out rn," according to records obtained by CNN. In a recorded November 2024 call with one of the accused, Matthew Ingalls, Doe stated, "What y'all did would be classified as gang rape." Ingalls, who has not been charged with a crime, replied, "It's possible that both of us like remember this and it's not true."
The case involves university students and administrators at Cornell University, as well as the office of the New York Attorney General and the Tompkins County District Attorney. The outcome of the civil litigation and the renewed criminal investigation affects the seven named former students facing potential legal liability and the university's standing regarding its Title IX obligations. For students, the case highlights the application of campus safety protocols and how institutions respond to reports of sexual violence involving fraternity culture and controlled substances.
The scale of the investigation at the university level involved 50 interviews with 32 witnesses and 12 days of hearings resulting in a 99-page disciplinary report. While two students were expelled, others received lesser sanctions; for example, one student was ordered to remain at the school but required to attend a sexual harassment class and write a reflective paper. A state-level special prosecutor now holds the power to investigate and present evidence to a grand jury.
The case has also prompted an independent review of Cornell’s internal procedures, which Governor Hochul requested. Cornell's President Michael Kotlikoff said the university's Board of Trustees would announce details of this independent review during the week of October 5, 2026. Legal proceedings continue as one of the accused students has filed a lawsuit to overturn his university punishment, while Doe's civil lawsuit for unspecified damages remains active.
What happens next: New York Attorney General Letitia James is authorized to begin her investigation. The Cornell Board of Trustees is scheduled to release details regarding the independent review of the university’s handling of the case during the week of October 5, 2026. Specific court dates for the civil lawsuits have not been reported.