Text messages show Cornell student Jane Doe trying to identify who was spreading rumours about an alleged sexual assault, while communicating with Matthew Ingalls, one of the men she later accused of rape.
The exchanges, sent in the days and weeks after a fraternity party, initially show the pair discussing the gossip and attempting to trace its source. On October 23, four days after the party, Ms Doe told Ingalls: “bro everyone knows✌️i’m incredibly stressed out.”
Ingalls replied that he did not know who was talking about the incident, describing the rumours as “fan behavior” and saying people at the school had nothing better to do.
Ms Doe said the speculation was “f***ing RUINING my life temporarily”, that her reputation was destroyed and that she felt ashamed and angry that so many people knew. She added that people were making the story “crazier every f***ing day”.
Ingalls offered reassurance, telling her she had nothing to be ashamed of and blaming those discussing the encounter. When Ms Doe mentioned having a urinary tract infection, he also sought to console her.
She agreed with his suggestion that people were jealous, and said: “everyone needs to grow up cause sexuality and sex and s**t is changing and stuff like this is going to become more common,, i’m also really open minded tho.”
The messages later turned to another Cornell fraternity member, Jonathan Newell, who was also named in Ms Doe’s lawsuit. Ms Doe claimed Newell had told others about the encounter, while Ingalls rejected the suggestion and said he believed the information had come from an upperclassman.
Ingalls asked who had passed on the information, saying that narrowing down the person could help identify those responsible. Ms Doe replied that the person who had told her would not reveal the name because it was one of her friends.
The tone changed after Ms Doe said she had been uninvited from an upcoming Halloween party by the fraternity president. She accused the men of protecting themselves, writing: “Yall aren’t my friends. yall are covering your asses.”
Rumours about the Cornell encounter
On November 7, Ingalls contacted Ms Doe after saying his former girlfriend had told him he was being labelled an assaulter in public. He asked whether Ms Doe might have said something to someone, while adding that he knew she would not have done so.
Ms Doe denied making such comments and said people were changing the narrative because, in a sexual situation involving one woman and several men, “the woman was probably victim.” She added: “I know there are rumors I was gang banged.”
She said she had mentioned Newell but not Ingalls. He responded: “Okay, I appreciate that a lot, thank you.”
The following day, Ms Doe told Ingalls she no longer wanted to speak to him because she believed he had lied. When he asked if she could call, she replied: “no. never again.”
In a separate message sent to Newell on November 3, Ms Doe alleged that “90% of what happened that night was not consensual”. She said she had been given more drugs than she could remember, had felt uncomfortable and did not know anyone in the room.
