The Tompkins County District Attorney says his office intends to present the Cornell University Chi Phi fraternity case to a grand jury, reopening an investigation that ended without charges in 2024. The decision follows a 101-page civil lawsuit filed September 14 by a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, who alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members in October 2024. No criminal charges have been filed, and the allegations have not been tested in court.
What the District Attorney Announced
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office plans to put the matter before a grand jury, which will decide whether there is enough evidence to bring criminal charges. “It’s our intention to present the case to the Tompkins County grand jury with Jane Doe’s co-operation,” he told ABC News.
He said the goal is to determine whether new evidence exists that wasn’t available when his office first reviewed the case: “We want to re-examine whether there’s additional evidence that we were not aware of in November of 2024, that exists now that would change our assessment of the case and would result in the grand jury finding that there was criminal conduct.”
A Dispute Over What She Told Police in 2024
Van Houten also made pointed comments about how the lawsuit’s account compares to what the woman told Cornell University police in 2024, describing the two as “dramatically different.” According to the prosecutor, she did not say at the time that she was drugged without her knowledge, acknowledged taking drugs and alcohol voluntarily, did not allege she was forced into any acts, and did not say she was physically helpless, unconscious, or incapacitated at any point during her time at the house.
He also acknowledged that his office relied on Cornell University police rather than conducting an independent investigation — an approach he said is common among prosecutors in regional New York — and said his office had not received the fraternity group chat that is included in the civil claim.
The woman’s attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, disputes that characterization. He says the group chat messages were given to authorities in 2024 and calls them “a critical piece of evidence,” arguing that nobody followed up with his client afterward. Giuffra also criticized how the initial report was handled, saying that speaking with an abuse survivor “requires delicacy, understanding and specialised training” that an average university police officer would not have. “Despite this there was no follow-up with Ms Doe either by the Cornell Police or the Tompkins County District Attorney,” he said.
The Allegations in the Lawsuit
According to the complaint, Jane Doe was 20 years old and a member of a campus sorority when she went to the Chi Phi house in Ithaca after a night of drinking. The suit alleges that two male students pressured her into using a substance described as ketamine, and that additional men entered the room after a message was posted in a fraternity Snapchat group. It claims the assault continued for several hours, ending when she lost consciousness around 5:45 a.m.
The lawsuit names seven defendants: Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. It also names Cornell University and several student organizations.
Defendants Respond
Attorney Jeremy Saland, who represents Kretzschmar, called the lawsuit “not only intentionally dishonest but morally repugnant” and said his client welcomes further investigation. “While Scott made an immature comment on Snapchat, he did nothing else,” Saland said, adding that Kretzschmar was in the room only briefly, did not see the plaintiff in distress, had no physical contact with her, and did not use ketamine.
Norris separately told ABC News he did not participate in any sexual activity or drug use. “I was not found responsible by Cornell for any of the accusations involving sexual activity and drug use for which others received serious consequences,” he said, adding that he “thoughtlessly engaged in Snapchat and briefly stopped in the room where misconduct happened but not when it happened.”
Cornell said its civil rights and student conduct offices investigated and adjudicated the allegations under university policy. “We take sexual violence extremely seriously,” Cornell vice president Kyle Kimball said.
Public Reaction
The case has drawn widespread attention, with many people expressing outrage online that no arrests were made. Actress Florence Pugh, in a post to her 10.6 million Instagram followers, thanked the alleged victim “for telling the world.”
Social media posts have also reported that defendant Matthew Ingalls has been fired from his work, including a contract position with DataAnnotation Tech and a role with the Cornell Daily Sun’s student journalists.
What Happens Next
A Tompkins County grand jury will now consider whether the evidence supports criminal charges. The civil lawsuit against the seven men and Cornell continues separately, and both proceedings are at an early stage.
