Jane Doe, an ex-Cornell University student, alleges she was gang-raped at a fraternity house party in October 2024. She recently told one of the accused men, Matthew Ingalls, that she remembered "looking up and being like that is too many people," indicating her realization during the event. The lawsuit names seven men and Cornell University as defendants. After the incident, some fraternity members tried to contain the situation by contacting Doe frequently to keep her from being upset, according to internal documents. Doe’s case led to the suspension of the Chi Phi fraternity; two men were expelled while others faced suspensions.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In October 2024, a civil lawsuit was filed by a plaintiff referred to as Jane Doe, alleging she was gang-raped during an event at a fraternity house at Cornell University in Ithaca. Around 100 students, family members, and faculty attended a public forum on campus where they criticized the university’s leadership for mishandling sexual assault complaints and fostering a rape culture. Speakers shared their own traumatic experiences with sexual violence; one woman stated she was also "Jane Doe" in another case.
Cornell rejected claims that it failed to punish those involved but agreed to an independent investigation. The lawsuit details how Jane Doe, then 20 years old and intoxicated/drugged, could not consent to the assault by seven men who remain uncharged despite their denials. In response, the Student Assembly organized a hearing where students expressed frustration over perceived university inaction.
Data from Cornell’s campus surveys indicate that 35% of undergraduate women reported unwanted sexual conduct during their time at the school as of 2025, up from 23% in 2023. The case has reignited debates about campus safety and accountability for sexual misconduct allegations.
Written for “Cornell Sexual Assault Investigation” on 2026-10-06,
grounded in this article and the 128 other(s) covering the same event.
The ex-Cornell University student who alleges she was gang-raped at a fraternity house party two years ago told one of the accused men that she recalled “looking up and being like that is too many people,” according to new documents in the case.
uncertain
looking → allege → case
Records obtained by ABC News reveal that several of the men who have since been accused of sexually assaulting the woman, known as Jane Doe, tried to contain the allegations in the weeks after the incident in October 2024.
asserted
who → obtain → October
Doe is suing seven men and the university after alleging she was gang-raped for hours while she was highly intoxicated, according to the lawsuit.
uncertain
she → sue → lawsuit
The accused have not been criminally charged, but prosecutors reopened the case after the civil suit.
asserted
prosecutors → accuse → suit
Students who were later interviewed by Cornell’s campus authorities said some members of the Chi Phi fraternity were doing “damage control” after the incident to ensure that Doe was “not upset about the situation,” according to records reviewed by the outlet.
uncertain
Doe → interview → outlet
One student told campus authorities that members of the fraternity “tried to contact [Jane] almost every day after it happened to, I guess, keep them on her good side and keep her happy and not upset about the situation,” according to the outlet.
uncertain
I → tell → outlet
In the days and weeks after the incident, Doe’s perception of what allegedly unfolded that night began to shift, leading her to conclude that it was not consensual.
uncertain
it → unfold → her
At an internal investigative hearing at Cornell months later, Doe reportedly characterized what happened as “the coverup these boys attempted.”
uncertain
boys → characterize → coverup
Doe reported the incident to Cornell’s police department on Nov.8, triggering the suspension of the Chi Phi fraternity and a months-long investigation.
asserted
Doe → report → fraternity
Two men were expelled and others were suspended.
asserted
others → expel → ?
The day before, Doe had a phone call with one of the accused, Matthew Ingalls, and told him she was “trying to piece it together.”
Ingalls has not been charged with a crime and has not yet responded to the accusations publicly.
asserted
Ingalls → have → accusations
Lawyers for at least three of the accused men deny any accusations of wrongdoing.
asserted
Lawyers → accuse → wrongdoing
Doe spoke with Ingalls again after she reported the incident to get his assessment of what happened.
asserted
what → speak → assessment
She also spoke with two other men and recorded the phone calls, according to ABC News, which released audio of some of the calls.
uncertain
which → speak → calls
She asked Ingalls, “Do you remember how any of these guys walked in?”
asserted
any → ask → guys
He told her that the door was “just unlocked...the party was sort of like crowded...there was nowhere else to go.
asserted
party → tell → her
Ingalls did not tell Doe about the messages he sent to Chi Phi members on Snapchat, where he said, “Like you can walk in and whip it out,” according to ABC News.
uncertain
you → tell → News
Doe bluntly told Ingalls: “What y'all did would be classified as gang rape.”
asserted
did → tell → rape
Ingalls replied: “It's possible that both of us like remember this and it's not true.”
asserted
it → reply → this
“I don't think that's true.
asserted
that → think → ?
No, no, because I remember looking up and being like that is too many people,” Doe told Ingalls, according to ABC News.
uncertain
Doe → remember → News
The documents reportedly revealed at least one instance when Ingalls appeared to ask a witness - a friend of Doe’s - to “submit new evidence” that could exonerate him, and accused Doe of lying.
uncertain
that → reveal → Doe
“You could submit new evidence that could get me and [Name Omitted] dismissed immediately.
uncertain
Name → submit → evidence
Even if [Jane Doe] found out it doesn’t matter, if the evidence is convincing enough to let us go then it’s proof she lied,” Ingalls reportedly said to the witness, who is not identified.
uncertain
who → find → witness
It was not clear what evidence Ingalls was referring to, but the witness told him, “I don’t have evidence.”
asserted
I → refer → evidence
“He tried to convince me in other messages like this one that she was lying and he said that, ‘You know that she's lying And you know that we would never do this
asserted
we → try → this
,’” the woman told investigators.
asserted
woman → tell → investigators
Cornell’s president addressed the controversy over the weekend after the story prompted national outcry.
asserted
story → address → outcry
In an eight-minute video message, Michael Kotlikoff described the past week as one of the most difficult in the university’s history and acknowledged troubling questions about the investigations that followed the allegations.
asserted
that → describe → allegations
“My heart aches when I think of what she experienced,” Kotlikoff said.
asserted
Kotlikoff → ache → what
“It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use.”
asserted
It → raise → culture
Kotlikoff reaffirmed his commitment to supporting an independent review of Cornell's handling of the case called for by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and said the school's Board of Trustees would announce details next week.
asserted
Board → reaffirm → details
He also expressed support for Hochul’s decision to turn the criminal investigation over to the state attorney general.
asserted
He → express → general
“I want to acknowledge something that can be difficult for an institution to say,” Kotlikoff said.
asserted
Kotlikoff → want → something
“We don’t have all the answers, but we are committed to investigating and finding the answers our community deserves.”
asserted
community → have → answers
The Aporia
