Cornell 7 tried to 'silence witness to save their frat's reputation' after alleged gang rape as students stage seven-hour protest for Jane Doe

Cornell University fraternity brothers accused of gang rape allegedly tried to silence a witness and protect their reputation, police records show.

The Ivy League school has been embroiled in controversy since the victim, identified only as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit last month claiming she was coerced into taking drugs and sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at an off-campus house in 2024.

At the time, prosecutors determined there was 'insufficient evidence' to bring criminal sexual assault charges. Cornell launched a Title IX investigation into the students in 2025, and the university shut down the fraternity.

Of the seven men accused, Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell were expelled from campus; Winston Lee and Gillio Lopes were both suspended and have since re-enrolled; Diego Sarabia had already graduated but was banned from campus; and Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar were found not responsible for sexual activity, and their punishments did not include expulsion or any suspensions. 

They have all denied wrongdoing. 

Jane Doe's lawsuit sparked national outrage over how authorities handled the case, and students have planned a seven-hour sit-in, one hour for each of the accused men, on Wednesday.

The coalition of students protesting the university's handling of the allegations gathered at the Toni Morrison Dining Hall on campus at 1.30pm ET and are set to stay there until 8.30pm.

It comes as records revealed that Cornell police received a tip that the men tried to silence a potential witness to protect their fraternity's reputation after Jane Doe filed her police report.

A coalition of Cornell students is holding a seven-hour sit-in, one hour for each of the accused fraternity brothers, over the school's handling of Jane Doe's gang rape case

The Ivy League school has been embroiled in controversy since the victim, identified only as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit last month claiming she was coerced into taking drugs and sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at an off-campus house in 2024

After a campus-wide alert was sent out about a reported rape on November 8, 2024, Chi Phi allegedly asked a potential witness to stay quiet because 'the reputation of all involved and the frat would be ruined,' according to the school records reviewed by ABC News.

The witness, a woman, then reported that to police. 

'Chi Phi held a meeting essentially to get all of the men on the same page about what happened. I know for a fact there are group messages about the situation,' the witness allegedly said.

She claimed that the brothers described the incident as a 'consensual orgy' but expressed concern that it 'would be bad for [their] image.' 

During a police interview with two fraternity brothers, one man claimed the alleged gang rape came up during their regularly scheduled meeting.

'We didn't have a meeting about it specifically,' he said. 'It was our weekly chapter meeting. We got through a bunch of stuff.'

Text messages showed that fraternity leadership texted Ingalls after the alert was sent out and said: 'When was the last time you spoke to [Jane Doe]?' 

'Yesterday... what's the plan of action?' Ingalls replied. 'Should I call [her]? I don't think she would have reported this.'

It comes as records revealed that Cornell police received a tip that the men tried to silence a potential witness to protect their fraternity's reputation after Jane Doe filed her police report

One of the men allegedly posted to the fraternity's active-members Snapchat group saying that there was 'free p***y' upstairs, referring to Doe, according to the filing, which included an image of the purported chat

Jane Doe claimed the night of October 19, 2024, began with underage drinking at several bars with sorority sisters before she was then invited to an afterparty at the Chi Phi fraternity house, and she 'stumbled alone' to meet up with her friend, Ingalls.

She said she then agreed to have sex with Ingalls and another man, but alleged that she was pressured to snort ketamine and smoke marijuana as she became heavily intoxicated.

Jane Doe alleged that she became disoriented as other men joined in, all while the men sent a message to the Chi Phi Snapchat group to say there was 'free p***y upstairs' in an invite for others to enter the room as well.

The messages also allegedly included an invitation to 'walk in and whip it out,' the lawsuit claims.

She said the horrific night ended at around 5.45am on October 20, 2024, when she lost consciousness and eventually returned to her sorority house.

Three weeks later, she reported the incident to the police, but prosecutors declined to bring charges, citing 'insufficient evidence.'

During Cornell's Title IX investigation, Ingalls claimed that he was assaulted by Jane Doe. 

'After all, you received information that I was sodomized by her while I was incapacitated back in November, and you never once thought to alert me of my rights under these procedures as a survivor of this assault?' Ingalls wrote in an email.

'The very fact that I had to bring this to your attention now in February confirms my worst fears: That this process is rolled [sic] with gender discrimination.'