Two of the seven Cornell fraternity members accused of gang raping a colleague were expelled, while two others were temporarily suspended from the campus.
asserted
others → accuse → campus
The Ivy League institution has been facing backlash since a former student, identified in court documents only as Jane Doe, claimed in an explosive lawsuit last month that seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity drugged and raped her in October 2024.
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members → face → October
None of the alleged rapists were ever charged with any wrongdoing, with Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten claiming at the time there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.
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Houten → allege → charges
Meanwhile, at the university, a three-member disciplinary panel concluded that Jane Doe was not sexually assaulted by all of the men she had accused, according to new records obtained by The New York Times.
uncertain
she → conclude → Times
Instead, the panel found that only Matthew Ingalls, who had invited Jane Doe to the fraternity house on October 19, 2024, and Jonathan Newell, who engaged in a threesome with Jane Doe and Ingalls, were responsible for sexual assault.
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who → find → assault
The two men were then expelled from the school, as campus officials claimed Ingalls was willing to manipulate, exploit and endanger Jane Doe for his own self-interest and the entertainment of others.
They also noted that Jane Doe had told campus police on November 14, 2024 that Newell had struck her buttocks with enough force during intercourse to leave bruises and that he manipulated her into taking ketamine.
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he → expel → ketamine
But other fraternity members received lighter punishments as university officials suspended the student group from campus, the records show.
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records → receive → campus
Only two of the seven former members of Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity were expelled from campus following an alleged gang rape in October 2024
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members → expel → October
The accuser, only identified in court documents as Jane Doe, spoke with campus police about the ordeal on November 14.
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accuser → identify → November
Students are pictured walking past Cornell Police headquarters
Suspensions and disciplinary probation orders were handed down to Winston Lee and Gillio Lopes, according to The Times.
Jane Doe had accused Lee of inhaling ketamine off her body and forcing oral sex on her, and alleged that Lopes had sex with her without her consent.
Lee was then suspended from the school for two years, with several semesters of disciplinary probation upon his return, while Lopes received a three-semester suspension and two years of probation.
Both men were also ordered not to contact the alleged victim, and were required to study sexual harassment and write reflection papers.
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men → picture → papers
Meanwhile, Diego Sarabia was barred from campus for three years.
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Sarabia → bar → years
He had already graduated from the school by the time of the disciplinary panel's ruling in March 2025.
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He → graduate → March
The other two men, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar, were ordered not to contact Jane Doe, to study sexual harassment, social media use and bystander intervention and to write 'reflection papers.'
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men → order → papers
They were not part of the alleged attack, but were accused of entering the room after Newell allegedly posted in a fraternity Snapchat group that there was 'free p***y' upstairs.
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Newell → allege → group
A recently unsealed lawsuit filed by Kretzschmar against Cornell University also shows he was not found responsible of sexual assault, the Times reports.
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Times → unseal → assault
One of the fraternity members allegedly advertised 'free p***y' upstairs in a group chat on October 19, 2024
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One → advertise → October
In a statement on Friday, Kretzschmar's attorney Jeremy Saland, said the discipline his client received from the university further showed he was 'never accused of, nor found responsible for, rape.
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he → say → rape
'
'He was not even present during any sexual activity,' the lawyer asserted.
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lawyer → assert → activity
Still, Jane Doe's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, said the punishments the seven fraternity members received 'did not reflect the severity of the charges.
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members → say → charges
'With the exception of these two men, all of them will be able to graduate with a Cornell diploma and live their lives reaping the benefits of this coveted degree,' he argued in a statement on Friday.
'
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he → graduate → Friday
In contrast, as of today, it is doubtful whether Ms Doe will even graduate college or ever live a normal life due to what these men did to her.'
Jane Doe had claimed in her lawsuit on September 16 that she arrived at the Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024, already heavily intoxicated following a night of drinking in Ithaca.
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she → graduate → Ithaca
She alleges she was pressured to take ketamine and given marijuana and high-proof alcohol before being repeatedly sexually assaulted as additional fraternity members entered the room.
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members → allege → room
The complaint goes on to allege that Doe became 'completely incapacitated' and that the sexual abuse continued until around 5.45am, when she said she lost consciousness.
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she → go → consciousness
Doe dropped out of the school in the aftermath.
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Doe → drop → aftermath
Teachers, students and community members gathered at Cornell University on Monday to protest the school's handling of a 2024 rape investigation
The protesters called for university officials to show accountability and transparency and to revise the school's sexual assault policies and trainings
The allegations left community members outraged, with more than 20 student organizations gathering on Monday for what they called the 'Justice for Survivors' protest.
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they → gather → Survivors
The protesters called for university officials to show accountability and transparency and to revise the school's sexual assault policies and trainings, according to Spectrum Local News.
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officials → call → News
Some speakers also demanded that Cornell's fraternities be kicked off campus, while others called for University President Michael Kotlikoff to resign.
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Kotlikoff → demand → campus
A few of the speakers even demanded that all of the accused brothers who graduated from the school have their diplomas revoked and that those still on campus be expelled.
But university officials have already said they would undertake an independent investigation into the school's handling of the matter.
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they → demand → matter
At the same time, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor in the case.
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Hochul → appoint → case
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said in a video message on Saturday that the administration welcomed an investigation into the university's handling of the 2024 alleged rape case
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administration → say → case
In a video statement on Saturday, University President Kotlikoff praised Hochul's decision as he announced that administrators will support legislative efforts to strengthen laws on sexual assault and intoxication.
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administrators → praise → assault
He called the days following the lawsuit 'one of the most difficult weeks' in Cornell history, adding that he acknowledged students were 'angry, sad and struggling.
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students → call → history
'
'What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come,' the president continued.
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president → happen → years
'My heart aches when I think of what she experienced.
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she → ache → what
It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use.
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It → raise → culture
'We must do everything we can to prevent what happened to Jane Doe, and everyone before her, and anyone after her, from ever happening again.'
Kotlikoff also promised to improve campus culture and ensure students understand consent moving forward.
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students → do → consent
He added that campus administration would make a 'greater effort' to be transparent with students.
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administration → add → students
Kotlikoff said there will be announcements in the coming weeks for broader conversations, including the role that Greek life plays on campus.
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life → say → campus
The president concluded that Cornell was 'listening, learning and committed to communicating more openly.
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Cornell → conclude → ?
We must lead the way.
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We → lead → way
…and 1 more, not listed.