PHOTO COURTESY OF THEPIXELPROJECT.NET

A picture showing the names and faces of the seven Cornell students accused of sexually assaulting Jane Doe.

Unless you have been living under a rock or have been completely desensitized by the internet, you should have heard about the horrible alleged rape case at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Cornell.

Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, Scott Kretzschmar: these are the names of the seven fraternity members accused in the case. But this isn’t just about the seven of them; it is about the 50 people in the group chat, and the additional 100 who did nothing to stop or speak out about the alleged sexual abuse.

The alleged abuse occurred in October 2024 at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University, where a former student referred to as Jane Doe was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted by seven Chi Phi fraternity members.

Although Jane Doe filed a report with the Cornell police department on Nov. 14, 2024, the result was two student expulsions, two student suspensions, two lighter sanctions requiring students to write a reflection paper, and one student who had already graduated being barred from campus.

Now, why is this coming out two years later? This incident was recently brought to light by the editors of the university’s student-led newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun, with an article titled “Cornell Won’t, We Will.” In the article, they held Cornell administrators accountable, asking why the perpetrators were allowed to excel and be educated in a safe environment while the victim was not.

So what really happened? Jane Doe’s lawsuit alleges she was sexually assaulted, raped and pressured to snort ketamine after drinking heavily. She described drinking at her Delta Delta Delta sorority house sometime after 6:30 p.m., going to two different Ithaca bars and finally going to the Chi Phi fraternity house around 10:30 or 11 p.m. to meet a friend. The friend she met was Matthew Ingalls, one of the accused in the case.​

That night, Jane Doe allegedly consented to sleep with Ingalls and one other fraternity member while she was extremely intoxicated. She told police that she didn’t remember much of the threesome because she was drunk.

At around 1:42 a.m., one of the defendants sent a message to the Chi Phi fraternity Snapchat group chat saying there was a woman upstairs available for free sex, or to quote “free pussy in alum pu.” As more fraternity members entered the room, she said she became extremely uncomfortable with how the night had turned. In her police report, Doe said she felt coerced to have sex with the fraternity brothers

Even after returning to the Tri Delt house the next morning, Doe did not fully realize what happened to her as she had not been fully conscious for much of the night. The next day, she read in online forums that guys in the fraternity were “terrible people” who “gang raped a sophomore.” That is when she clocked it: she had been gang raped. She ordered a rape kit, but it was too late as time and a urinary tract infection had washed away any remaining DNA.

The case reopened in 2026 when Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against the seven men, sparking an internet uproar. The movement “I am Jane Doe” started when women across the world voiced their opinions on the matter and stood by Jane Doe, saying they had been victims of sexual assault and violence.

On Oct. 3, 2026, Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff released a video statement saying that it had been a difficult week in Cornell’s history, and that it raised questions about Cornell’s initial investigation. Well, Mr. Kotlikoff, maybe if you had done your part two years ago and provided consequences appropriate to the severity of the alleged crime, then maybe this would not have been such a difficult week.

Why are we not angry enough? More than 6,000 rape cases are reported on college campuses across the United States annually. Do we not go to college to build a future and give ourselves a better chance at life? Why are we put into such a predicament?

Silence is not consent. Being drunk and horny is not consent. Saying yes to one does not mean yes to all. These are basic human decencies that should not have to be repeated after every alleged sexual assault case. College campuses should be a safe place to learn and explore. She was not wrong to have drinks, to meet up with her friend, or even agree to a threesome.

What troubles me about this case is the question of consent.  She agreed to sleep with two people, but this does not mean she gave consent to all the other frat bros that wandered into the room. The boys in the group chat were equally complicit, since none of them seemed to stop and think about what was happening. Power and wealth should not be a pass to cheat justice. Justice delayed is justice denied.

Now this brings me to how common this scenario really is. University of Arkansas rape cases tripled this year, but only five of 19 were reported in police files, with charges unclear, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

There have been debates about whether or not these fraternity members should be prosecuted, as Jane Doe was unsure if the alleged sexual acts were consensual at first.  But the facts, as we understand them today, are that she was under the influence, drugged with a horse tranquilizer, then gang raped by seven men.

How could anyone even form a thought while in that condition? Under Cornell’s Title IX and Policy 6.4 rule, a person who is intoxicated or incapacitated by alcohol and drugs cannot give affirmative consent.

Cornell suspended all Greek life activities for the 2026-2027 calendar year and shut down the Chi Phi fraternity chapter.  There are now a series of messages and phone calls between the perpetrators and Jane Doe that were not originally reviewed in 2024. I wonder why?

Where does the case stand today? In September 2026,  Jane Doe filed a 101-page civil lawsuit against the seven men, claiming she was drugged with alcohol, marijuana, and ketamine, and gang raped by multiple men over the course of many hours. Cornell’s president apologized and appointed former acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent review of the university’s handling of the 2024 complaint and campus police response.

Why did it take student-led public outrage to shed light on this incident and actually move forward with an open investigation? Yes, false accusations are a thing that happen whether we like it or not, but common sense tells me she consented to having sex with Matthew Ingalls, but not with the whole Chi Phi house like the messages indicate.

That is where it started —  with disrespect in a simple text message. The message implied she was nothing more than an object. And what went through the heads of those fraternity bros who thought it was an invitation to do whatever they wanted just because she was helpless?

What is wrong is that she was violated without her consent while she was unconscious and the authorities in place to protect her did not do their best to investigate her claims to the fullest extent. And it is really wrong that the alleged perpetrators were not condemned.

Yes, some of them were expelled, but that does not mean their lives are over. You know whose life will never be the same? Jane Doe’s, who, you know, will never graduate from Cornell, a prestigious Ivy League school.

Do better, Cornell. You have a responsibility towards your students. Your administrators do not get to choose sides. It’s about someone’s life, not your reputation.

Sources:

https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2026/09/editorial-cornell-won-t-we-will

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw8dzg094zd9o

https://time.com/article/2026/10/09/the-cornell-7-case-demands-more-than-outrage

CBS news

Categories: Opinion