Orazio Petito dropped from Cornell assault lawsuit

Orazio Petito has been removed from Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit against Cornell University and members of its Chi Phi fraternity after the parties agreed he was not the chapter president at the time of the alleged 2024 assault. The claims against Petito were discontinued with prejudice, according to a court filing dated October 20, 2026, meaning Doe cannot bring the same claims against him again. Petito was named in the suit over allegations that he had responsibility for supervising the fraternity house. He was not accused of participating in the alleged assault. Doe’s attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, said Petito was dropped after lawyers received proof that he was not president when the incident was alleged to have occurred. Petito’s attorney, Eric Bernstein, also said his client did not hold that role at the time. The filing records the parties’ agreement to discontinue the claims against Petito with prejudice. That resolution concerns Petito alone and does not decide Doe’s claims against other defendants. The identity of the person who led Chi Phi’s Xi Chapter in October 2024 has not been established in the reporting. Doe’s civil complaint alleges that seven Chi Phi members...