Text messages reportedly exchanged the day after an alleged sexual assault involving Cornell University students have become part of a civil lawsuit now working through the courts, according to reporting first published by TMZ and later referenced by ABC News and the New York Times.
The case centers on a woman identified only as Jane Doe, who has filed a civil suit alleging she was raped by several men connected to the Cornell chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity in an incident that took place roughly two years ago. The lawsuit names a group of men who have been referred to in coverage as the “Cornell 7.”
Among those named is Jonathan Newell, who according to reports was expelled from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after being identified in the civil suit. Another man referenced in the case, Matthew Ingalls, reportedly left the country for Dubai after being publicly named last month.
The texts at issue, dated to the day after the alleged incident, show Newell apologizing to Jane Doe, writing in part that he and Ingalls “feel like s[***] for being too f[***] up to shut it down and kick people out before it got way out of hand,” according to the messages obtained by TMZ.
In her reply, Jane Doe wrote that her memory of the night was also unclear and said, “at the end of the day non of the sexual stuff was illegal and honestly i really liked being w u and matt.” She went on to write, “i really do love u and matt and i promise i wont get quiet and weird w u like i did last time.”
Reports indicate Jane Doe also told campus police in the weeks following the incident that the encounter had been consensual, before filing suit roughly two years later alleging rape.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has drawn attention in coverage of the case for directing the state attorney general’s office to look into the matter, though details of the scope of that involvement have not been fully reported.
The civil case remains pending. None of the parties named in this account has been convicted of any crime, and the allegations in the lawsuit have not been resolved by a court.
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