Two Cornell University fraternity brothers were expelled after a campus disciplinary panel found them responsible for sexual assault in a high-profile case that has drawn scrutiny from the governor’s office.
Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell, both members of the Chi Phi fraternity, received the university’s most severe sanctions following a private investigation by Cornell campus police into an alleged October 2024 attack on a then-20-year-old woman, according to documents. The panel concluded its work in May 2025, though its findings carry no legal standing and no criminal charges have been filed against any of the accused men.
The panel determined that Ingalls had exploited, manipulated, and endangered the woman for his own self-interest and others’ entertainment. Newell was found to have manipulated her into taking ketamine while also striking her hard enough to bruise during intercourse, the school found.
Winston Lee, another Chi Phi brother, was suspended for two years but permitted to return after that period. He had been accused of forced oral sex and of snorting ketamine off the woman’s body. Gillio Lopes, who faced similar allegations of sex without consent, received a three-semester suspension plus probation upon his return. Both Lee and Lopes were required to complete sexual harassment coursework and submit reflection essays, and both were barred from contacting the woman.
Diego Sarabi, accused of forcibly kissing the accuser, had already graduated by the time the panel convened. He was barred from returning to campus for three years.
Scott Kretzschmar and Scott Norris, both accused of going to the room where the alleged assault occurred after texts reading “free p—y” were sent to a fraternity-wide group chat, were ordered to write reflection papers. Kretzschmar was found not responsible for sexual assault but was determined to have committed attempted sexual exploitation. His lawyer has maintained that he was “never accused of, nor found responsible for, rape.”
The punishments stand in direct contradiction to claims made by the accuser, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, in a September civil lawsuit. That suit alleged a gang rape and stated that all seven brothers were allowed to “mitigate their conduct by submitting essays” and nothing more. Cornell has since called the accuser “irresponsible” for suggesting the university took no action beyond requiring written assignments.
Each of the accused brothers has denied allegations of rape.
The case has escalated beyond Ithaca. The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office declined to pursue criminal charges, claiming the woman’s statements indicated her participation in the sex and consumption of drugs and alcohol were all consensual. Campus police told The Post it had shared all investigative material with prosecutors. The handling of the case prompted Governor Kathy Hochul to appoint Attorney General Letitia James to take over the probe, with Hochul indicating she had lost faith in the upstate district attorney’s investigation.
The accuser’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, said that the punishments “did not reflect the severity of the charges.”
“With the exception of two of these men, all of them will be able to graduate with a Cornell diploma and live their lives reaping the benefits of this coveted degree,” Giuffra said.
He added: “In contrast, as of today, it is doubtful whether Ms. Doe will even graduate college or ever live a normal life due to what these men did to her.”
Chi Phi was suspended from campus approximately three weeks after the incident, when the woman first reported her allegations to the school.
Hochul’s appointment of James to oversee the investigation signals continued state-level attention to the case as the civil lawsuit proceeds.