'Cornell 7' Frat brother reportedly claimed 'Jane Doe' assaulted him - and said school didn’t care he was a sexual-assault 'survivor'

The controversy surrounding the alleged 'Cornell 7' gang-rape case has taken another complicated turn after one of the fraternity brother reportedly made a striking counter-allegation against the woman identified as 'Jane Doe', an undergraduate student, claiming that she had sexually assaulted him. According to a report in ABC News, the student also accused Cornell University of failing to take his claims seriously, arguing that the school did not care that he considered himself a sexual-assault 'survivor'. The allegations add another complicated layer to a case already involving serious and disputed claims about what happened between the students.

Matthew Ingalls, one of seven Chi Phi fraternity brothers accused by a Cornell University student of sexual assault, reportedly claimed that he was actually assaulted by her while he was too intoxicated to consent. According to ABC News, Ingalls also accused Cornell of failing to recognize him as a sexual-assault 'survivor', alleging that the university’s handling of the case amounted to gender discrimination. Ingalls has not been criminally charged and has denied wrongdoing.

INGALLS CLAIMED HE WAS TOO INTOXICATED TO CONSENT

The allegations originated from an October 2024 encounter at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house. Jane Doe later told campus police that she had been raped by multiple men after consuming alcohol and drugs. According to ABC News, Cornell investigative records showed that Ingalls later told investigators he was too intoxicated to consent that night and portrayed himself as a victim.

The outlet reported that Ingalls went further in a February 2025 email to Cornell’s Title IX investigator, alleging that Jane Doe had 'sodomized' him while he was incapacitated. Ingalls questioned why university officials had not informed him about his rights as an alleged survivor after receiving information about his claim. He also accused the university’s investigative process of 'gender discrimination' and 'entrapment', according to the reports.

"After all, you received information that I was sodomized by her while I was incapacitated back in November, and you never once thought to alert me of my rights under these procedures as a survivor of this assault?" Ingalls wrote in an email as quoted by ABC News. "The very fact that I had to bring this to your attention now in February confirms my worst fears: that this process is rolled [sic] with gender discrimination."

FRATERNITY MEMBERS ACCUSED OF TRYING TO CONTROL NARRATIVE

Ingalls’ allegations emerged as ABC News reported new details about how members of Chi Phi responded after Jane Doe reported the alleged assault. Cornell police received an anonymous tip claiming fraternity leadership wanted a potential witness to remain silent because details becoming public could damage the reputation of those involved and the fraternity.

A female student later told investigators that Chi Phi had held a meeting to get the men 'on the same page' about what happened, according to the outlet. The incident was reportedly characterized by fraternity members as a 'consensual orgy'.

One fraternity brother, however, disputed the suggestion that a special meeting was organized, saying the matter had simply come up during a regular chapter meeting. The messages were also reviewed by the news outlet and it appeared to reflect fraternity members discussing how to respond after Cornell suspended the chapter.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER JANE DOE REPORTED THE INCIDENT?

Jane Doe filed a report regarding the incident in question with the Cornell Police in November 2024, about three weeks after the event took place. An internal investigation carried out by Cornell reportedly led to the expulsion of two students, with Ingalls being one of them, while others faced disciplinary action.

All seven fraternity members named in Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit have denied wrongdoing, and none have been criminally charged. The case, however, remains under scrutiny.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is investigating the matter, while Cornell has hired an external law firm, headed by former acting US Attorney General Sally Yates, to examine the university’s handling of Jane Doe’s allegations.

With Ingalls portraying himself as an alleged victim and Jane Doe claiming that she had been raped, the issue now revolves around the two contrasting versions of events.