A woman accusing seven Cornell University fraternity members of drugging and sexually assaulting her is asking to remain anonymous, saying she fears retaliation if her identity is made public.
In a sworn statement filed with a New York court, the woman said the alleged attack at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024 forced her to stop attending Cornell.
She said being identified could damage the career and personal life she has worked to rebuild. The prospect of her name becoming public had also caused what she described as severe anxiety, depression and sleeplessness.
The woman is seeking permission to continue her lawsuit as Jane Doe. She also wants the defendants prevented from disclosing her identity to anyone outside their legal teams.
Her request includes keeping sensitive personal details, such as her address, telephone number, email address, date of birth and Social Security number, under an “attorneys’ eyes only” designation.
Cornell accuser says she fears retaliation
She said she was afraid of retribution from the men she accuses, claiming they showed disregard for her safety when they allegedly gave her large quantities of drugs.
The woman alleges that the seven Chi Phi members gave her ketamine and sexually assaulted her inside the fraternity house. She further claims one of the men invited others upstairs in a message referring to “free p***y”.
The lawsuit names Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar as the alleged attackers. The claims have not been proved in court.
The Tompkins County District Attorney has reopened the criminal investigation and intends to present the case to a grand jury with the woman’s co-operation.
