One day after a campus-wide alert notified students about a reported rape at a Cornell University fraternity in 2024, the school police department received an anonymous tip alleging that Chi Phi leadership urged a potential witness to stay quiet. According to school records, the caller stated the fraternity was concerned that the reputation of all involved and the fraternity would be ruined if details spread. Videos obtained by ABC News show that Cornell investigators subsequently questioned witnesses regarding a potential coverup by fraternity members. A female student told investigators that Chi Phi held a meeting to align the men’s stories, adding that group chat messages existed about the situation. That student stated the brothers described the event as a consensual orgy while expressing worry over their image. The undergraduate student at the center of the case, identified as Jane Doe, reported to campus police in November 2024—three weeks after the incident—that she was raped by eight to ten men at the Chi Phi house. The case has since sparked widespread discussions regarding campus sexual assault treatment nationwide. In response, Cornell’s board of trustees announced it selected the law firm King and Spaulding, led by former acting U.S. attorney general Sally Yates, to investigate the university’s handling of the allegations. In late 2024, campus police interviewed at least two fraternity members regarding the incident and internal communications. One member claimed the topic arose informally during a weekly chapter meeting discussing chapter updates. Text messages reviewed by ABC News also revealed members scrambling to contain fallout after Cornell suspended the chapter. The fraternity president messaged member Matthew Ingalls—who invited Jane Doe to the house before the alleged assault—asking when he last spoke to her. Ingalls replied asking for a plan of action and stating he did not think she would report it. All seven accused fraternity members have denied any wrongdoing. Ingalls has not been criminally charged and did not respond to requests for comment. Records show he later told investigators he was too intoxicated to consent that night and portrayed himself as a victim. In a February 2025 email to Cornell’s Title IX investigator, Ingalls accused the school of entrapment, claiming he was incapacitated and assaulted, and suggested gender discrimination within the process. Jane Doe has filed a civil lawsuit, and New York Attorney General Letitia James is actively investigating the incident.
Source: abcnews.com
