A student who reported being drugged and raped at Cornell University remained in contact with some fraternity brothers after she had reported them for assaulting her. The victim, referred to in court documents as Jane Doe, kept in touch with Matthew Ingalls, telling her alleged attacker her reputation was 'destroyed' and she was 'utterly ashamed' at events on October 19, 2024.
Mr Ingalls, who has not been charged with any crime and denies wrongdoing, allegedly tried to reach out to the victim in October 2024, ABC News reported. Some of the alleged attackers attempted a 'damage control' exercise to keep the victim happy and not 'upset about the situation', phone calls show.
Fraternity members called victim daily
A friend of Jane Doe's said the fraternity members had called her nearly every day following the incident in a bid to placate her. However, their attempts proved unsuccessful when the victim told Cornell Police she had been raped.
The Chi Phi chapter, which was suspended on November 8, the same day Jane Doe filed her report, reacted on a group chat, with one member writing 'f***'.
Recorded call reveals confrontation
Before deciding to report the fraternity, Jane Doe had expressed her fury to Mr Ingalls. She told him: 'I'm f—–g pissed cause this many people shouldn't know and I feel like I know who some of the rats in the room were.'
In a recorded call between the two, she said she would 'feel a little better' and be able to move on if she knew the truth about what had happened. However, Mr Ingalls insisted that Jane Doe had said she was sober at the time, a claim she pushed back on. After he explained several people were in the room, the alleged victim shouted: 'What y'all did would be classified as gang rape.'
Investigation and institutional response
Jane Doe would call out 'the coverups these boys attempted' at an internal Cornell investigative hearing held months later. The case is now the subject of a major investigation led by New York attorney general Letitia James.
She said in a statement on Friday: 'I stand ready to lead a process guided by the facts and the law. In the coming months, my office will dutifully carry out the responsibilities the governor has conferred upon us in this executive order. We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions. I know that you want answers. I do too.'
Cornell University president Michael Kotlikoff pledged in a video statement to improve the institution's transparency. In an eight-minute clip, he said the incident had raised 'troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanisation and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use'. 'You have my commitment that this will not be a moment that passes', he said.
