Former Cornell Student Sues Over Chi Phi Assault Allegations

A former Cornell University student has sued the university and seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, alleging they drugged and sexually assaulted her at the fraternity’s house in October 2024. The civil complaint, filed September 14, 2026, also accuses Cornell and other organizations of negligence and failures in responding to the case. The allegations have not been proven in court. The woman, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, was 20 and attending Cornell when the alleged assault took place. The complaint says she had been drinking before going to the Chi Phi house in Ithaca, New York, and that two fraternity members pressured her to take a substance they described as ketamine before sexually assaulting her. It alleges that other members later entered the room and joined the assault while she was incapacitated, and that it continued for several hours. The lawsuit names Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar as defendants. It also alleges that a message was posted to a Snapchat group for Chi Phi members inviting others upstairs. Those details are allegations in the complaint, not findings by a court.