The accused were not charged in the original criminal case.
Koreaboo
Today
Earlier this month, a former Cornell University student filed a lawsuit alleging that she was gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs by several men at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell.
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In November 2024, the unnamed student at the college located in Ithaca, New York, in the United States, reported that she had been sexually assaulted by several members of the Chi Phi fraternity. She alleged that she was forced into taking drugs, including ketamine, while she was already heavily intoxicated.
After leaving a bar to meet a friend, identified as Matthew Ingalls, Ingalls allegedly proposed having a threesome with him and another fraternity brother, identified as Johnathan Newell, though she was unable to give consent.
She was then allegedly pressured into drinking more, snorting ketamine, and smoking marijuana, after which she was orally and vaginally penetrated. Another fraternity brother, identified as Gillio Lopes, joined in on the assault at that point.
According to the civil suit, Newell messaged in a group chat for the fraternity that there was “free p*ssy,” allegedly encouraging others to join in the assault.
More forced consumption of drugs, including an instance where Newell allegedly told her to snort a line off of his penis, and forced penetration allegedly continued, with an additional four men taking part in the assault, which did not end until 5:45 a.m., several hours after she was initially assaulted.
The new case has named all of the accused fraternity members in the suit and sent shockwaves through the Korean American community after Winston Lee‘s identity was discovered. Lee’s alleged part in the assault occurred after he was summoned by Ingalls, at which time he participated in orally and vaginally assaulting the unnamed woman with another fraternity member.
The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office closed its review of her allegations without bringing criminal charges, saying prosecutors found insufficient evidence after examining the police investigation. According to the lawsuit, the accused were allowed the opportunity to mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to the university.
What happened to me was horrific and deeply disturbing. Almost two years later, I still carry the weight of its impact every day and night.
— Alleged Victim
The unnamed woman alleges that the assault and its aftermath caused lasting psychological and emotional harm and ultimately caused her withdrawal from Cornell. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages as a result, and a jury trial.
Source: WBNG and New York Supreme Court