Photo via Daily Mail

Expelled 'Cornell 7' frat bro Matthew Ingalls claimed he was too drunk to attack Jane Doe and suggested she was the one who assaulted him, report says

Read the original at Daily Mail ↗
Cite

Koenig, M. (2026, October 5). Expelled 'Cornell 7' frat bro Matthew Ingalls claimed he was too drunk to attack Jane Doe and suggested she was the one who assaulted him, report says. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16185107/Cornell-seven-Matthew-Ingalls-drunk-assault-Jane-Doe.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Daily Mail · collected 2026-10-05 · by Melissa Koenig
Content note This article describes sexual violence.

Quick Summary

Matthew Ingalls, one of seven Cornell University fraternity brothers accused of gang rape, claimed in a phone call with the alleged victim, Jane Doe, that he was too drunk to have participated in the attack. He also suggested she might have assaulted him instead. In her account to university police and in a subsequent lawsuit filed in September 2024, Jane Doe stated she was drugged and sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024. Ingalls denied responsibility, insisting that Jane Doe had told him she was sober before the incident occurred.
Written by AI on 2026-10-05, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

A Cornell University student, identified only as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was drugged and gang-raped by seven fraternity members at the Chi Phi house on October 19, 2024. Despite initial investigations that concluded without criminal charges being brought forward, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has reopened the case and intends to present it to a grand jury with Doe's cooperation, seeking new evidence not previously available.

Doe’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, reported that she is in constant fear due to intense public pressure and harassment. She suffers from insomnia and relies on medication to sleep. The case, which has garnered national attention, includes allegations against Cornell University, the fraternity, and other parties involved, leading the university president to suspend all fraternity parties until the end of the academic year for a thorough review.

The reopening of the investigation follows increased scrutiny over Title IX policies at educational institutions, focusing on handling sexual misconduct cases. Despite public campaigns aimed at unmasking Doe and defending the accused men—who deny any wrongdoing—the case remains highly sensitive with significant implications for university policy and legal procedures regarding sexual assault allegations.

Written for “Cornell Bans Fraternity Parties Over Assault Allegations” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 304 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Cornell Bans Fraternity Parties Over Assault Allegations
Education · 305 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 28% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Daily Mail
Hedges 8 of 41 claims Outlet record 68/100
CBS News
Hedges 18 of 83 claims Outlet record 66/100
Daily Mail
Hedges 3 of 20 claims Outlet record 68/100
“While both articles discuss the same alleged rape incident involving 'Cornell 7', Article A focuses on Matthew Ingalls' claims and defense, while Article B discusses Jane Doe's text messages to one of the accused frat boys after the incident. They describe different aspects of related events.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 2 of 37 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles discuss different individuals (Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell) within the same broader incident involving the Cornell 7, but they are not reporting on the exact same specific occurrence.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 5 of 41 claims Outlet record 68/100
“While both articles discuss similar accusations and outcomes involving the Cornell University fraternity members, Article A focuses on Matthew Ingalls's specific claims in a court setting, whereas Article B provides an overview of punishments for multiple individuals accused but not charged with criminal wrongdoing.”
CBS News
Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 66/100
“Article A reports a drug arrest at Chi Phi fraternity house prior to an alleged gang rape incident, while Article B focuses on one of the accused perpetrators' claims and defense regarding the same alleged gang rape.”
New York Post
Hedges 3 of 15 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different aspects of the broader incident involving the alleged gang rape at Cornell University on October 19, 2024. Article A focuses on a student's response to the police investigation and feels of betrayal, while Article B discusses one accused individual's account and defense.”
New York Post
Hedges 3 of 14 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different events: one involves Matthew Ingalls claiming he was too drunk to commit assault and suggesting the victim assaulted him, while the other involves Winston Lee apologizing for backlash against the victim in a phone call.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
40
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
28%
11 of 40 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
withheld
no quote in the article backed the model's score
Publisher signals
68/100
Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
305
Education
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-05 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Daily Mail · 8501 article(s) · 20 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 20 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Melissa Koenig
80 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The current inquiry includes questions about whether her age was accurately recorded in immigration documents, an issue that officials reviewing her file in 2019 said they could not conclusively resolve because birth records for refugees from Somalia were often unreliable.
🔮 'This could be an extended closure,' it posted.
🔮 He then said he would continue campaigning through Election Day, but will continue to monitor any legal developments surrounding the ballot controversy after federal prosecutors said they are conducting an 'aggressive criminal investigation' into how a second candidate also named Dan Sullivan got his name on the ballot.
🔮 Nicki Minaj has hit out at New York Governor Kathy Hochul, calling her an 'evil woman' who will 'not escape God's wrath,' amid speculation that the rapper may be President Donald Trump's next press secretary.
🔮 Authorities in Utah had long believed the prolific serial killer may be responsible for the murder of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, but the death remained a cold case ever since her body was first discovered in the woods on October 27, 1974.
🔮 John expressed concerns about reporting the bullying at school because his mom would get upset,' the officer wrote in the report.
🔮 'I never thought I would have to write these words,' she said.
🔮 Homeland Security Investigations officers are pictured at her Washington DC home on October 12 Authorities are also said to be looking into Omar's marriage history and finances If she had been 18 years old when her father became a naturalized citizen, she would have been considered an adult and would have to pursue her own immigration process.
🔮 As he then hung over an abyss, the photographer said he heard a voice - and looked up to see someone in a helicopter who told him that he could see him and that help was on the way.
🔮 It may now take another month before the long-term effects of the failed execution are realized, the lawyer said.
Also by Melissa Koenig
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 80 articles by Melissa Koenig →

Topics

ABC News Chi Phi Cornell Police Cornell University Snapchat

Subjects

Jane Doe PERSON · 13× Ingalls PERSON · 10× Chi Phi ORG · 4× Cornell University ORG · 3× Jane Doe's PERSON · 3× Snapchat ORG · 2× ABC News ORG · 1× Cornell Police ORG · 1× Doe PERSON · 1× Matthew Ingalls PERSON · 1×

Narrative

Jane Doe also told Ingalls she had spent time in the emergency room and in therapy following the alleged assault in the fraternity house, because there was 'so much damage on my body and my brain.' An alleged victim, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a lawsuit in September claiming she was sexually assaulted in the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024 The accuser, only identified in court documents as Jane Doe, spoke with campus police on November 14.
framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-05
🔮 He then even suggested that Jane Doe may have assaulted him.

Claims (40 extracted, 11 hedged)

One of the former Cornell University fraternity brothers who was accused of gang rape claimed he had been too drunk to attack the alleged victim – and even suggested that she was the one who assaulted him. uncertain
who → accuse → him
Matthew Ingalls, who was later suspended from the university, had invited the alleged victim – only identified in court documents as Jane Doe – to the Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024 when she claims she was drugged and raped. uncertain
she → suspend → October
When university police then investigated Jane Doe's claim that she was raped, Ingalls said he was too intoxicated to consent to any sexual intercourse, according to records obtained by ABC News. uncertain
he → investigate → News
He then even suggested that Jane Doe may have assaulted him. uncertain
Doe → suggest → him
But in a phone call obtained by Cornell University police, Ingalls was heard insisting to the victim: 'You did tell me you were sober, by the way.' asserted
you → obtain → way
The audio showed differing recollections of the alleged attack, as Jane Doe told Ingalls that he 'already knew I was 10 shots deep' when he and six others allegedly sexually assaulted her. uncertain
he → show → her
'If I wanted to take this somewhere, what y'all did would be classified as gang rape,' she told him in one message. asserted
she → want → message
Jane Doe also told Ingalls she had spent time in the emergency room and in therapy following the alleged assault in the fraternity house, because there was 'so much damage on my body and my brain.' An alleged victim, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a lawsuit in September claiming she was sexually assaulted in the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024 The accuser, only identified in court documents as Jane Doe, spoke with campus police on November 14. asserted
accuser → tell → November
Students are pictured walking past Cornell Police headquarters last week Ingalls pleaded his innocence in the call with Jane Doe, telling her that she convinced him she was not intoxicated and 'hadn't been anywhere' that night, which she disputed. Yet asserted
she → picture → which
Jane Doe could be heard in the audio asking Ingalls for details about the night, including how they ended up in a threesome in his fraternity house. uncertain
they → hear → house
'So, you come in, say hi, and we start dancing for maybe like three to five minutes... asserted
we → come → minutes
And then I pop the question, you say yes,' he replied. asserted
he → pop → question
He said they 'didn't know who else to bring' into the threesome, so he found another man on the dancefloor who agreed, 'and then we go upstairs.' asserted
we → say → dancefloor
Jane Doe alleges that several more Chi Phi fraternity brothers then joined them in the room periodically and joined in, and she alleged in a civil lawsuit that they advertised 'free p***y' in a Snapchat group chat. asserted
they → allege → chat
In the audio, Jane Doe told Ingalls she did not remember who all of the men were during the encounter, and said she recalled four men in a bed at one point with more stood around them. asserted
more → tell → them
Ingalls responded: 'I have racked my brain for this mystery. asserted
I → respond → mystery
You know, it's possible that both of us, like, remember this and it's not true.' asserted
it → know → this
Jane Doe argued back to this, saying: 'No, because I remember looking up and being like, 'That is too many people.' asserted
That → argue → this
The lawsuit included alleged messages on Snapchat of Chi Phi fraternity members apparently discussing the incident and advertising 'free p***y' asserted
members → include → p***y
The audio showed that while Ingalls appeared to try and calm Jane Doe's feelings about the incident, he did not mention that he texted his fraternity group chat during the alleged assault, according to Jane Doe's lawsuit. uncertain
he → show → lawsuit
He allegedly posted a photo of Jane Doe to the fraternity group chat, and said, 'Boys come whip it out', the lawsuit alleges. uncertain
lawsuit → post → it
Jane Doe now claims in her lawsuit that seven men eventually participated and that Doe became 'completely incapacitated.' uncertain
Doe → claim → lawsuit
She says the ordeal continued until around 5.45am, when she lost consciousness. asserted
she → say → consciousness
She then reported the allegations to Cornell University Police on November 8 after friends encouraged her to come forward, according to the lawsuit. uncertain
friends → report → lawsuit
Cornell temporarily suspended the fraternity and seven students that day, but the lawsuit alleges that only Ingalls and one other attacker were expelled from the school while the others were asked only to submit essays. asserted
others → suspend → essays
Doe, meanwhile, dropped out of the school in the aftermath. asserted
Doe → drop → aftermath
Alongside Ingalls, the other Chi Phi fraternity brothers named by Jane Doe in her civil lawsuit are Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar. asserted
brothers → name → lawsuit
They have all denied any wrongdoing and have not been charged with a crime, as the Tompkins County District Attorney's Office cited 'insufficient evidence' following the school's 2024 investigation. asserted
Office → deny → investigation
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has since called on Attorney General Letitia James to lead a renewed criminal investigation, but before the decision was made, James posted on Facebook about the case. asserted
James → call → case
'What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. asserted
forced → force → What
We stand with you,' James wrote. asserted
James → stand → you
Because her statement was written as fact, Andrew Miltenberg, who represents defendant Lopes, believes that James should not be part of the new investigation. asserted
James → write → investigation
'There is nothing improper about expressing compassion for someone who reports a sexual assault. asserted
who → be → assault
But there is an important difference between supporting a person who makes an allegation and appearing to accept the factual premise of that allegation before conducting an investigation,' he told Fox News. asserted
he → be → News
Miltenberg further suggested that James should recuse herself from the probe and have another senior prosecutor who has not commented on the case handle the investigation. uncertain
who → suggest → investigation
'That would not weaken the investigation. asserted
That → weaken → investigation
It would strengthen it,' the attorney told the outlet. asserted
attorney → strengthen → outlet
Miltenberg expressed similar concerns about James while speaking to NewsNation's Chris Cuomo about the case that garnered national attention. asserted
that → express → attention
'I think we have great concern as to Attorney General James being in charge because of the position she publicly took and publicized at the outset - before she was named special prosecutor,' Miltenberg told Cuomo. asserted
Miltenberg → think → Cuomo
'I don't know how any of these boys can get a fair investigation and a fair shake at this point,' he added. asserted
he → know → point
💬Give feedback
🕘History 🎫Support