Editor’s note: This article references sexual assault
On the night of Oct. 19, 2024, a student of Cornell University, dubbed “Jane Doe,” was allegedly sexually assaulted by seven members of the Cornell fraternity chapter of Chi Phi. Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against the seven men and Cornell University, Chi Phi Fraternity chapters, chapter Alpha Beta of Tri Delta (plaintiff’s sorority), Moonies Bar & Nightclub, a faculty advisor, an alumni advisor to the fraternity and the executive board of the fraternity, among others.
The seven fraternity members named in the lawsuit are Mathew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopez, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar.
Student journalism directly contributed to the revival of this case. Cereese Qusba, a senior editor on the Cornell Daily Sun, contacted Jane Doe and her lawyers to inquire about the story. In an interview with “The Cut,” Qusba said, “It had been over a year since that happened and I started to look into this case because I thought it was something really important and worthy of reporting.”
Qusba did months of investigation, in preparation to drop the story immediately following the filing of the suit. The lawsuit has sparked nationwide attention, fueled by the reporting done by the Daily Sun which published an investigative report soon after the lawsuit was filed.
According to the suit, Jane Doe was at a sorority event at Moonies Bar & Nightclub on the night of the alleged assault. She consumed substantial amounts of alcohol throughout the night. She and her sorority sisters left the event and went to another bar, where she parted from her sisters and went to the XI Chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity house to meet her friend, Mathew Ingalls. Though she was visibly intoxicated, Doe was soon separated into another room, where she allegedly endured hours of sexual activity while she was in no state to offer consent.
Jonathan Newell sent a message in a group chat to 57 members of the Chi Phi fraternity bluntly stating “free pussy,” allegedly referring to Jane Doe. According to the lawsuit, “she was plied with alcohol and drugs to the point of intoxication by members of Chi Phi National’s fraternal organization, which resulted in plaintiff being sexually assaulted and raped by members of Xi Chi Phi National’s regional fraternal organization at Cornell University.”
Doe alleges in the lawsuit, “Defendant Newell then poured a line of Ketamine onto his erect penis and commanded that Plaintiff snort it, which she did.” Doe was then subjected to further sexual assaults, lasting until early into the morning on Oct. 20.
Supported by friends, Doe reported the alleged sexual assault to the Cornell University Police Department (CPUD).
The lawsuit alleges a systemic failure on behalf of Cornell University and the other defendants. The CUPD did not escalate the situation to the Ithaca Police Department, according to a statement put out by the Mayor Cantelmo.
Since becoming a national story, social media platforms have become spaces to declare: “I am Jane Doe” after attempts were made to discover Doe’s identity. The flood of responses has protected her anonymity from those who seek to find her identity.
Since then, the lawsuit has sparked discussion on university rape culture. “Almost one in four undergraduate women experienced sexual assault or misconduct at 33 of the nation’s major universities,” according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.The IWU student-run Phoenix Theatre’s production of “The P*ssy Grabbers Play” on Sept. 26 and 27 was about the stories of the women that spoke out after being sexually assaulted by President Donald Trump. “Everyone has a story,” they repeated in the play (see page 5 for our full-length review).
The Argus agrees that everyone has a story and we will continue to uplift those who speak out against sexual assault and harassment on our campus and campuses across the nation.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault and would like to report it: contact the Bloomington or Normal police departments, the National Sexual Assault Hotline 800-656-4673, or text HOPE to 64673.
In order to ensure our campus is a safe place for all students, we must make it so. The actions taken by the Daily Sun are empowering to university students nationwide.
We can expose these abuses while ensuring the victims are protected. The institutions that are in place to prevent sexual assault on college campuses have shown their incompetence; now it is up to the students to take actions.
Support exists on campus and off for survivors. Talk to someone you trust, do not let your voice be silenced, and hold any institutions accountable for their negligence.
