Phone records, text messages and other documents suggest fraternity members at Cornell University entered “damage control” mode after an alleged gang rape, amid fears the accusations could affect their reputations and futures, according to material reviewed by ABC News.
The evidence relates to an alleged sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. A former Cornell student, identified in a lawsuit as Jane Doe, claims she was drugged with ketamine before being raped by seven young men.
The lawsuit, filed last month, alleges that the incident followed a night involving drugs and alcohol. The men named in the case are accused of having initially portrayed the encounters as consensual.
Students later told Cornell officials that some of the fraternity members had tried to ensure Jane Doe was “not upset about the situation”, according to the documents reviewed by ABC News.
The fraternity members were reportedly concerned that she had changed her account of the night from consensual sexual encounters to what she described as a gang rape.
Phone recording captures conversation with accuser
In a recorded phone conversation obtained by ABC News, Jane Doe told one of the fraternity members: “the only way for me to heal is to know what happened”.
She added: “That’s why I’m trying to just piece it together, you know, like I’m just like confused.”
Messages and other evidence indicate that Jane Doe initially consented to a threesome with two of the fraternity members. She later said the encounter became a drug- and alcohol-induced gang rape.
Snapchat messages between fraternity members also appear to discuss a woman being available for sex and encourage the men to engage with her.
Jane Doe eventually reported the matter to campus police. Officers sent local prosecutors a six-page summary of her statement, but it did not include her claim that she had been “100 percent raped”.
Tompkins County district attorney Matthew Van Houten has repeatedly defended the decision not to bring criminal charges, saying Jane Doe’s statement suggested the sex was consensual.
New York governor Kathy Hochul has since announced a new criminal investigation. The inquiry will be overseen by the New York state attorney general, replacing Mr Van Houten.
