Cornell gang-rape lawsuit tests Title IX accountability and New York's intoxicated consent law

October 1, 2026 at 06:30 PM2 min

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A woman identified as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit on Sept. 16 alleging she was gang-raped by seven Chi Phi fraternity members at Cornell University on Oct. 19, 2024. Prosecutors said this week they are reopening a criminal investigation after initially declining charges. The case has renewed scrutiny of Cornell's Title IX process and New York's intoxicated consent law.

Key Facts

Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit on Sept. 16 against Cornell University, her sorority chapter, and the Chi Phi fraternity, naming seven individual defendants.
Prosecutors said this week they are reopening the criminal investigation after initially declining to press charges.
Cornell expelled two of the seven accused students, according to Doe's attorney, and the university confirmed expulsions and suspensions occurred without disclosing individual outcomes.
Cornell began its Title IX investigation on Jan. 14, 2025, after Doe reported the alleged assault to campus police in November 2024.
Cornell stated on Monday that none of the charged individuals were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence.

The Civil Lawsuit

Jane Doe filed the lawsuit on Sept. 16 in New York, alleging she was sexually assaulted, gang-raped, and pressured to take drugs and drink alcohol by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity on the night of Oct. 19, 2024. The lawsuit names Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar as defendants, along with the fraternity, Doe's sorority chapter, and Cornell University. The complaint alleges negligence, breach of contract, and violations of New York law, asserting that Cornell failed to protect Doe. Separate attorneys for Kretzschmar and Lopes denied the allegations in statements to ABC, while Norris, via an attorney, denied engaging in sexual activity or drug use but acknowledged sending a message included in the complaint.

University Disciplinary Process

Doe reported the alleged assault to campus police in November 2024, and Cornell began its Title IX investigation on Jan. 14, 2025. Doe's attorney has said that Cornell expelled two of the seven accused students. Cornell confirmed that its disciplinary process resulted in expulsions and suspensions but has not disclosed individual outcomes, citing student privacy laws. In a Sept. 21 statement, Cornell said it could not confirm individual disciplinary outcomes, and on Monday clarified that none of the charged individuals were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence.

Criminal Investigation Reopened

Prosecutors said this week they are reopening a criminal investigation into the case after declining to press charges originally. Doe's attorney has separately criticized authorities' handling of the criminal investigation. Observers say the 'voluntary intoxication loophole' in New York state law could limit what prosecutors are able to charge.