Matthew Ingalls, one of seven Cornell Chi Phi brothers accused of ‘gang rape’ with Dubai roots, 'hates' America; here’s why

Matthew Ingalls, one of the seven Cornell University Chi Phi fraternity brothers accused of “gang rape," hates the United States and is embarrassed of holding his American citizenship. Ingalls, whose full name is Umar Matthew Ingalls, has his roots in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Citing a resurfaced 2020 article, The New York Post reported that Ingalls was embarrassed by his American citizenship while attending Cornell University. He had to reportedly explain to people in the UAE that “no, I’m not a Trump supporter.”

“Generally speaking, ‘American’ over here is synonymous with ‘Trump,’ which is synonymous with a whole bunch of other words that I won’t mention,” he said, as quoted in Inkewell, the student news site of Annie Wright Upper School in Tacoma, Washington. The magazine described him as “half American."


Ingalls had admitted that he initiated the now infamous threesome that Jane Doe claimed in a lawsuit turned into a gang rape. The incident occurred in 2024 and got renewed attention when the victim girl, who’s a former Cornell student, filed a new suit in September 2026, making shocking allegations.

Matthew Ingalls and his privileged life in Dubai

The 21-year-old accused grew up in privilege. His father teaches Islamic studies in Dubai, according to The Post. In Dubai, Ingalls attended Dubai International Academy, an elite private school located in the “Beverly Hills of Dubai.” The former frat bro was born and brought up between the Middle East and the United States.

Matthew Burtchaell Ingalls, father of Ingalls, is a professor of Islamic studies at the American University in Dubai. According to The Post, he has been teaching since 2016. He also chairs the Department of Middle Eastern Studies in the university. The 48-year-old converted to Islam. In a 2021 article, he complained that the research on Islam was too focused on terrorism.


Also Read: Who is Matthew Burtchaell Ingalls? Father of Cornell University frat brother accused in alleged gang rape case converted to Islam, teaches Islamic studies in Dubai; all about his UAE roots


“Much of the research in the Americas focused on questions of assimilation or terrorism and neglected the more basic issues of belief, practice, and community,” he wrote in the research paper, as quoted by The Post. “Islam, in other words, was framed as a problem, not a way of life.” His mother Yasmine Khattab is Egyptian.

He earned a doctorate in Islamic studies from Yale University in 2011. Prior to that, he received a master’s degree in Arabic studies from the American University in Cairo in 2004.

Ingalls was expelled from Cornell in 2024

In 2024, Ingalls was expelled from Cornell University along with another frat brother after an internal investigation found them responsible for sexual assault. He reportedly fled to Dubai in the wake of the alleged gang rape lawsuit filed in September 2026.