Cornell University's high-profile fraternity case has seen significant new developments, including the appointment of a special prosecutor, the reopening of a previously closed investigation, and a university-commissioned external review. The situation, involving allegations of sexual assault against multiple students and subsequent counter-allegations, has drawn national attention, with commentators like podcast host Megyn Kelly suggesting a re-evaluation of the narrative.
"After all, you received information that I was sodomized by her while I was incapacitated back in November and you never once thought to alert me of my rights under these procedures as a survivor of this assault?" Matthew Ingalls, Defendant in Civil Lawsuit
In recent weeks, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to oversee the case. Concurrently, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced his office would reopen an investigation into the matter, which had previously been closed due to what he described as insufficient evidence based on the accuser's initial statement to police. Adding another layer of scrutiny, Cornell University disclosed on Tuesday that it has retained former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent review of the university’s handling of the incident and its broader sexual assault policies.
The case centers on a civil lawsuit filed last month by a plaintiff identified in court papers as Jane Doe. She alleges that on October 19, 2024, seven men engaged in sexual intercourse with her over a seven-hour period at the Chi Phi fraternity house. Doe claims she became "completely incapacitated" after consuming several alcoholic drinks and ketamine, and that the encounter persisted until approximately 5:45 a.m., when she lost consciousness. Her lawsuit states that friends encouraged her to come forward, leading her to report the incident to Cornell University Police on November 8.
Amid these developments, the narrative has become more complex with counter-allegations from one of the defendants, Matthew Ingalls. On her podcast, Megyn Kelly weighed in on Wednesday, asserting that the "Cornell seven" designation should be expanded to "Cornell eight," arguing that Ingalls' claims warrant equal consideration. Kelly highlighted Ingalls' communications with campus police, where he accused Jane Doe "of being a sexual molester, a harasser and assaulter."
According to Kelly, Ingalls has alleged in the ongoing proceedings that if the standard for assault includes intoxication, then Doe could also be considered an assailant. Ingalls' account to police detailed an encounter where he was "passing out repeatedly." Kelly stated that Doe's own account indicated she "kept trying to wake him up" during the alleged threesome with Ingalls and defendant Jonathan Newell. Ingalls further informed Cornell’s Title IX investigation that Doe performed oral sex on him while he was drifting in and out of consciousness due to drugs and alcohol, a claim Kelly said investigators "didn’t take it seriously."
Ingalls subsequently sent a letter to the university expressing his frustration: "I knew you’d do this. I knew you’d only take her allegation seriously. That she’s the only one who could possibly be assaulted, not me." He followed up in February 2025 with an email to the Title IX investigator, accusing the university of "entrapment" and raising the prospect of filing his own complaint against Doe. In the email, Ingalls stated, "After all, you received information that I was sodomized by her while I was incapacitated back in November and you never once thought to alert me of my rights under these procedures as a survivor of this assault?" He added, "The very fact that I had to bring this to your attention now in February confirms my worst fears: that this process is rolled [sic] with gender discrimination."
Campus police also obtained a recorded phone call between Ingalls and Doe. During this call, Ingalls insisted that Doe had told him she was sober. Doe contradicted this, telling him he "already knew I was 10 shots deep." Doe also told Ingalls, "If I wanted to take this somewhere, what y’all did would be classified as gang rape." She admitted she could not recall all the men involved, remembering four men in a bed at one point with more standing around. Ingalls replied, "I have racked my brain for this mystery. You know, it’s possible that both of us, like, remember this and it’s not true." Doe countered, "No, because I remember looking up and being like, ‘That is too many people.’"
Doe’s lawsuit alleges that Ingalls omitted a critical detail during that phone call: he allegedly texted the fraternity group chat during the encounter, posting a photo of Doe with the message "Boys come whip it out."
Cornell University has taken disciplinary actions against several students involved. Ingalls and Newell were expelled. The lawsuit also alleges Newell struck Doe. Winston Lee and Gillio Lopes were suspended but have since re-enrolled. Diego Sarabia, who had already graduated, received a campus ban. Investigators found Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar not responsible for sexual activity, resulting in no expulsion or suspension for them. The multiple ongoing investigations and reviews underscore the complexity and contentious nature of the allegations and counter-allegations surrounding the Cornell fraternity case.
