By TMZ | Created at 2026-10-05 12:46:58 | Updated at 2026-10-05 15:24:01
2 hours ago
Alleged Cornell Gang Rape Frat Bros Went Into 'Damage Control' ... Over Fear For Their Futures
Published October 5, 2026 5:37 AM PDT
Some of the frat boys accused in a lawsuit of gang raping a Cornell University student went into "damage control" to try to save their reputations and futures at the Ivy League college, according to ABC News.
ABC reporters recently reviewed text messages, phone records, and other documents connected to the alleged October 2024 sexual assault of the now-former Cornell student by 7 young men at Chi Phi fraternity house.
Last month, the ex-student filed her lawsuit against the 7 frat brothers, claiming they drugged her with ketamine and then gang raped her during a night of drug and alcohol debauchery.
According to ABC ... Cornell students spoke with campus officials after the alleged incident, telling them that some of the frat boys went into "damage control" to make sure that their accuser — identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit -- was “not upset about the situation.”
The frat brothers were reportedly concerned that Jane Doe was changing her story from consensual sexual encounters that night to what she characterized as a "gang rape."
During a phone conversation, Jane Doe told one of the frat brothers that "the only way for me to heal is to know what happened," per a phone recording obtained by ABC.
She also said, “That's why I'm trying to just piece it together, you know, like I'm just like confused.”
Text messages and other evidence show that Jane Doe initially consented to a threesome with two of the frat brothers ... but it turned into what she later viewed as a drug-and-alcohol-induced gang rape.
Snapchat messages between frat brothers indicate there was a woman available for sex -- while encouraging them to engage with her.
Jane Doe eventually went to the campus police and gave a statement. Cops then forwarded a six-page summary of Jane Doe's statement to local prosecutors, but left out her claim that she was 100 percent raped.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has repeatedly defended himself, saying that he did not pursue criminal charges because Jane Doe's statement suggested the sex was consensual.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a new criminal investigation into the matter, replacing Van Houten with the New York State Attorney General to oversee the case.
