15 hrs ago
Cornell Student Journalists Renew Scrutiny of 2024 Sexual Assault Allegations
Student reporters at Cornell kept investigating a sexual assault case after much of the campus stopped discussing it.
The case involves a student called Jane Doe in court documents.
She says she was assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024.
She later filed a civil lawsuit naming seven fraternity members and several organizations.
The newspaper published the men’s names, even though they had not been criminally charged.
The editors said students deserved to know how the case was handled.
Cornell said it investigated the allegations and imposed discipline.
The district attorney initially did not bring criminal charges but has now reopened the investigation.
The case is being reviewed again, while the allegations remain disputed in court and criminal proceedings have not been completed.
The Cornell Daily Sun continued investigating allegations involving an alleged 2024 assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house.
Jane Doe’s September civil lawsuit named seven fraternity members, Cornell, Chi Phi, a local bar and her sorority as defendants.
The lawsuit alleges Jane Doe was given alcohol, marijuana and ketamine before becoming incapacitated and being sexually assaulted.
The Sun published the seven men’s names despite their lack of criminal charges, saying students deserved greater transparency.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the criminal investigation and plans to present evidence to a grand jury.
- Who
- Jane Doe, seven fraternity members named in her lawsuit, Cornell University, The Cornell Daily Sun and Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten.
- What
- Student journalists renewed scrutiny of Jane Doe’s sexual-assault allegations, while prosecutors reopened a related criminal investigation.
- Where
- The alleged assault occurred at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
- When
- The alleged assault occurred in October 2024; the civil lawsuit was filed in September, and the investigation was reported reopened on October 1.
- Why
- The newspaper pursued the story to examine Cornell’s handling of the allegations and provide what editors described as greater transparency.
Accountability and Transparency
Due Process and Institutional Defense
Publishing the accused men’s names
Accountability and Transparency
The Cornell Daily Sun said students deserved greater transparency about the case and Cornell’s handling of it, and published the names from the civil lawsuit.
Due Process and Institutional Defense
The men were named in a civil lawsuit but had not been criminally charged, creating legal and due-process risks that the newspaper acknowledged.
Cornell’s response
Accountability and Transparency
The Sun questioned whether Cornell’s response and sexual-assault task force went far enough, particularly its emphasis on education and limited public information about outcomes.
Due Process and Institutional Defense
Cornell said it conducted its own investigation and imposed disciplinary measures, while the Chi Phi chapter was barred from campus and remains closed.
Criminal investigation
Accountability and Transparency
The reopened investigation reflects renewed attention after the lawsuit and the fuller police-interview transcript in which Jane Doe said she was raped.
Due Process and Institutional Defense
The district attorney said prosecutors did not pursue charges in 2024 because Jane Doe’s sworn statement then described drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious and consensual; the prosecutor has since cited additional evidence without detailing it publicly.
Key facts
- Alleged assault
- Jane Doe alleges she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.
- Civil lawsuit
- Filed in September, it names seven fraternity members, Cornell, Chi Phi, a local bar and Jane Doe’s sorority.
- Named defendants
- Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar.
- Criminal status
- The seven men have not been criminally charged.
- Investigation
- Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the investigation and plans to present evidence to a grand jury.
- Newspaper coverage
- The Cornell Daily Sun published an investigation and a front-page editorial titled “Cornell Won’t, We Will.”
- University response
- Cornell said it conducted its own investigation and imposed disciplinary measures; the Chi Phi chapter was barred from campus and remains closed.
Quotes
Cereese Qusba
Senior reporter for The Cornell Daily Sun
“Sophia, I’m working on this story — I want it to be a focus of The Sun.”
firstpost.com
“I can say with 100% confidence I was raped.”
firstpost.com
Sophia Dasser
Editor-in-chief of The Cornell Daily Sun
“Our main obligation is accountability. Whether that looks like something that many people do not want to hear, or something that many people do want to hear, it’s our obligation to report on it.”
firstpost.com
Sources
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