Former Cornell student sues university, Chi Phi and seven members over alleged 2024 sexual assault

ITHACA, N.Y. — A former Cornell University student identified in court papers as Jane Doe has filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple men at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. The complaint names Cornell, Chi Phi organizations, seven current or former students, Tri-Delta entities, an Ithaca nightclub and others. No criminal charges have been filed.

The allegations are unproven. The named defendants deny wrongdoing where they have responded, and all are presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise in court.

According to campus and regional coverage of the New York Supreme Court filing, the plaintiff says the alleged assault unfolded overnight Oct. 19–20, 2024, at Chi Phi’s Xi chapter house at 107 Edgemoor Lane after she had been drinking elsewhere on campus and downtown. The suit alleges she was pressured to consume a substance claimed to be ketamine and then sexually assaulted while incapacitated. It further alleges that one defendant messaged a Snapchat group of chapter members inviting others upstairs.

The seven student defendants named in the lawsuit, as reported by The Cornell Daily Sun, are Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar.

Doe reported the matter to Cornell University Police around Nov. 8, 2024, according to the complaint and campus reporting. Cornell placed the Xi chapter and the seven students on temporary suspension while investigating. The university later said its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and adjudicated the allegations under university policy.

No criminal charges. The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office told CBS New York it “conducted a thorough review of the police investigation” and found “insufficient evidence to support criminal charges.” The civil case is separate from any criminal process.

In a Sept. 21, 2026, university statement, Vice President for University Relations Kyle Kimball said Cornell is aware of the lawsuit and that “the Xi chapter of Chi Phi fraternity remains barred from our campus.” Kimball said federal privacy law prevents the university from discussing individual student discipline and that Cornell “will respond in detail through the legal process.” The university also pointed to a Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault launched after the 2024 allegations.

Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, told CBS New York that his client left Cornell after the alleged assault and that, in his view of the campus process, only some of the accused faced the most serious sanctions. Cornell has not publicly confirmed individual outcomes.

Jeremy Saland, an attorney for defendant Scott Kretzschmar, told The Cornell Daily Sun his client “wholeheartedly” denies the allegations and that counsel possesses documents and other evidence they say contradict the complaint.

Chi Phi’s national headquarters told CBS New York it “unequivocally condemns sexual violence,” takes the matter seriously, and will not discuss specific allegations during pending litigation.

Moonies Bar & Nightclub, also named in the suit over alleged Dram Shop Act violations tied to an earlier campus event that night, denied serving alcohol to underage or hand-marked guests, according to a statement provided to The Cornell Daily Sun.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages. It does not specify a dollar amount in public summaries of the filing.

Hudson TV is publishing this out-of-market civil case at editors’ direction. Reporting relies primarily on The Cornell Daily Sun, CBS New York, Cornell’s official statement and related regional coverage of the court filing. Allegations in a civil complaint are not findings of fact.