A former Cornell University student has filed a civil lawsuit against seven members of the university’s Chi Phi fraternity, alleging she was drugged with ketamine without her knowledge and sexually assaulted by multiple men over several hours at the fraternity house in October 2024. The lawsuit, filed September 14, 2026, in Manhattan Supreme Court, follows a campus disciplinary process and a criminal investigation that resulted in no charges.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
According to the complaint, the woman, then 20, spent the evening of October 19, 2024, out with sorority sisters before meeting up with one of the defendants at the Chi Phi house at 107 Edgemoor Lane in Ithaca, New York. The lawsuit alleges she was pressured into using ketamine for the first time, along with alcohol and marijuana, and that multiple fraternity members then sexually assaulted her without her consent over the course of several hours, continuing until approximately 5:45 a.m.
The suit alleges that during the incident, a message was posted in a fraternity Snapchat group chat inviting other members to join, and that additional men came to the room after it was sent. The complaint includes a screenshot of the message as an exhibit.
The seven men named as defendants in the lawsuit are Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar.
How the Case Was Handled at the Time
The woman reported the incident to Cornell University police and Ithaca police roughly three weeks later, on November 8, 2024. Chi Phi and the seven accused students were placed on temporary suspension shortly afterward.
The Tompkins County District Attorney’s office investigated the allegations but ultimately declined to file criminal charges, telling reporters there was insufficient evidence to prosecute. No arrests were made in connection with the case.
Cornell separately conducted its own internal disciplinary process. According to the plaintiff’s attorney, two of the accused students were expelled following the university’s hearings, while the remaining students received lesser sanctions, which reportedly included suspensions, educational workshops, and required written reflections on their conduct. Chi Phi fraternity remains barred from Cornell’s campus.
At the time, Cornell issued a public statement calling the alleged behavior “abhorrent” and saying it “cannot be tolerated within our community.” The university has since declined to comment further on the lawsuit or confirm specific details of the disciplinary outcomes, citing federal student privacy law.
What the Lawsuit Claims About Cornell’s Response
Beyond the individual defendants, the lawsuit also names Cornell University, alleging the school fostered an environment in which sexual assault was tolerated and failed to adequately discipline or remove the students involved. The plaintiff’s attorney has criticized the university’s disciplinary options, arguing that written reflections were an inadequate response to allegations of this severity.
Where the Case Stands Now
It’s important to be clear about the legal status of this case: these are civil allegations, not criminal convictions. None of the seven men have been criminally charged in connection with the incident. An attorney for defendant Scott Kretzschmar has denied the allegations against him. The remaining defendants have not publicly responded to the claims as of this writing.
The plaintiff no longer attends Cornell. Her identity has not been publicly disclosed in connection with the case.
