Editor’s Note: The content of this article contains detailed descriptions of sexual assault and drugging.
A former Cornell student filed a lawsuit on Monday, alleging that she was gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs by several men at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell in 2024.
She is suing Cornell University, several Chi Phi fraternity organizations, seven current and former students, several sorority organizations, the former president of Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter, a local bar and several unnamed individuals.
“What happened to me was horrific and deeply disturbing,” the plaintiff told The Sun. “Almost two years later, I still carry the weight of its impact every day and night.”
The plaintiff, identifying as Jane Doe, filed this lawsuit after an initial report was made to the Cornell community on Nov. 8, 2024.
The Chi Phi members named in the lawsuit are defendants Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar.
The Alleged Incident
On Oct. 19, 2024, the night of the alleged drugging and sexual assault, the plaintiff claims that her evening began at Cornell’s Tri-Delta house. Here, she consumed hard liquor before attending a Tri-Delta National’s Alpha Beta Chapter event hosted at Moonies Bar & Nightclub.
At Moonies, the plaintiff claimed she was marked on her hands as underage and was clearly intoxicated. Despite this, the plaintiff was served alcoholic beverages by Moonies employees.
At approximately 11 p.m., the plaintiff allegedly left Moonies and stopped at the Lot 10 bar, then “stumbled alone” to Chi Phi National’s Xi chapter’s fraternity house, located at 107 Edgemoor Ln., to meet her friend, defendant Ingalls.
At the Chi Phi house, defendant Ingalls allegedly proposed having a threesome with him and another fraternity brother. The plaintiff was “incapable of consenting,” according to the lawsuit. Ingalls still allegedly brought the plaintiff to a room.
The plaintiff claims that defendants Ingalls and Newell pressured her to snort a white, powdery substance claimed to be ketamine and supplied her with marijuana and a liquor believed to be high-proof rum.
Without the plaintiff’s consent, defendant Ingalls initiated oral sex while defendant Newell engaged in vaginal intercourse, according to the lawsuit. Throughout the alleged assault, defendant Newell slapped the plaintiff on the buttocks multiple times, which the plaintiff claims resulted in bruising she noticed the next day.
Defendant Lopes joined the alleged assault, and began kissing the plaintiff while Newell groped her from behind, according to the lawsuit. The two then placed her on a bed and again initiated sex with the plaintiff without her consent.
At approximately 1:42 a.m., defendant Newell allegedly encouraged fraternity brothers to join him, sending a message about “free pussy” upstairs to a Snapchat group entitled “Chi Phi Actives,” which the lawsuit describes as a group chat for Xi chapter members.
Multiple other members of the Xi chapter, including defendant Sarabia, entered the room with the plaintiff while she attempted to hide her naked body under the covers of the bed.
The plaintiff claimed she pushed defendant Sarabia away as he grabbed her face and kissed her.
The lawsuit states that the plaintiff’s phone was on the other side of the room and she “felt as if there was no way for her to escape this room full of predatory, fraternity men.”
Defendant Newell then “commanded” the plaintiff to snort a line of ketamine off of his erect penis, according to the suit.
While she was lying on her back, defendants Ingalls, Newell, Lee, Lopes, Sarabia, Norris and Kretzschmar poured and snorted lines of ketamine over her body.
Defendants Ingalls and Lee took the plaintiff into another room, which was believed by the defendant to be the office of Orazio Petito, president of Chi Phi at Cornell at the time. Defendants Ingalls and Lee forced oral and vaginal sex upon her simultaneously and made her snort more ketamine. The assault lasted until around 5:45 a.m., according to the lawsuit.
The filing states that the plaintiff was completely incapacitated at this point and came into consciousness later that day on Oct. 20, 2024.
The lawsuit states that the plaintiff was in a “very vulnerable situation” when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by defendants Ingalls, Newell, Lee, Lopes, Sarabia, Norris and Kretzschmar. The lawsuit claims that the student defendants were “fully aware” of her condition.
The plaintiff reported the incident to the Cornell University Police Department on Nov. 8, 2024, and that same day, the Xi chapter was placed on temporary suspension for alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct. Temporary suspensions were also issued for defendants Ingalls, Newell, Lee, Lopes, Sarabia, Norris and Kretzschmar, according to the lawsuit.
The defendants were offered the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to the University, according to the lawsuit.
On Nov. 26, 2024, the University released a statement, titled “Update on disturbing allegations of sexual violence,” explaining that the University was continuing to investigate the incident..
In January 2025, the University began a Title IX investigation in response to the plaintiff’s Formal Complaint, according to the lawsuit.
According to the complaint, Cornell’s Title IX investigation is believed to have concluded, while the Ithaca Police Department is still investigating the incident.
The Complaint
The complaint brings claims against the University for negligence, negligent supervision, breach of contract, violations of state human rights and education laws and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
It also accuses Tri-Delta entities of negligence and breach of contract, Chi Phi defendants of negligent supervision and seven student defendants of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The plaintiff brings claims against Moonies Bar & Nightclub, alleging that the bar and its employees violated New York’s Dram Shop Act — which can hold alcohol vendors liable in certain circumstances when they knowingly serve persons who are underage.
The lawsuit seeks damages from all defendants. The lawsuit “specifically seeks” damages from Cornell, fraternity and sorority organizations, certain faculty, alumni and executive board members and Petito, which the lawsuit described as failing to properly supervise or monitor the seven current and former student defendants.
When asked by The Sun about the pending litigation, a University spokesperson declined to comment. Petito did not respond to a request for comment by publication.
“In the aftermath, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of support I received from the student community,” the plaintiff told The Sun. “What I experienced was already devastating, but that pain was compounded by being criticized and ostracized at a time when I needed compassion, support and care the most.”
Editor’s note: Cereese Qusba is a member of Tri-Delta at Cornell.
Cereese Qusba is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She was a news editor for the 143rd Editorial Board and is a senior editor for the 144th Editorial Board. She can be reached at cqusba@cornellsun.com.
