A new update in the Cornell 7 case has come to light as messages from one of the accused have been shared online.
Keep reading to know more.
The controversy surrounding the group that has been named as the “Cornell 7” by the media has taken another turn after new details emerged about one of the students accused in the 2024 sexual-assault case.
Jonathan Newell, 21, was reportedly expelled from Cornell University following the school’s Title IX proceedings. Earlier this year, he enrolled at another university in Florida.
But after the allegations resurfaced through a newly filed civil lawsuit, his attempt to continue his education elsewhere has reportedly been disrupted.
The Accused Student Had Enrolled At Another University
Newell was reportedly enrolled at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in South Florida after leaving Cornell.
The university did not publicly name him, but NSU President Harry Moon issued a statement on October 5 after reports surfaced that a student involved in allegations from another university had transferred there.
“We are all concerned about reports of serious allegations of s*xual ab*se that occurred approximately two years ago at another university and may involve a student who later transferred to NSU,” Moon wrote.
He said the university acted “immediately” after learning about the allegations and emphasized that NSU had not been aware of them when the student was admitted.
The university also said it was not aware of any current threat to the campus community. According to reports, Newell was subsequently ordered to stay away from NSU property.
The Allegations Date Back To October 2024
The controversy stems from an alleged incident at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024.
A woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe alleges in a civil lawsuit that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by seven fraternity members.
The allegations have not been established in court, and none of the seven men has been criminally charged in connection with the alleged assault.
Newell is accused in the lawsuit of being among the first men to sexually assault Doe.
The lawsuit also alleges that he sent a message to the fraternity’s Snapchat group inviting other members upstairs.
The message allegedly read:
“free pus*y upstairs.”
Another alleged message encouraged fraternity members to “walk in and whip it out.”
The messages have become a major focus of renewed scrutiny over what other fraternity members allegedly knew about what was happening inside the house.
Other Messages Have Also Come To Light
The Snapchat conversation reportedly contained additional messages that have raised questions about how much members of the fraternity knew.
One message allegedly asked, “Shop still open?”
Others reportedly responded, “Yeah.”
The messages were included in the civil lawsuit as evidence that other fraternity members may have known Doe was upstairs while the alleged encounter was still taking place.
A separate exchange allegedly occurred between Doe and one of the accused men two days later.
According to the lawsuit, he apologized for “how things went down” and said his memory of the night was “kinda fuzzy.”
He allegedly acknowledged that he and another person should have intervened and “shut it down and kick[ed] people out before it got way out of hand.”
The exact circumstances and meaning of those exchanges remain disputed.
The Cornell Investigation Produced Different Accounts
Cornell conducted its own investigation into the allegations and interviewed Doe, the accused students and other witnesses.
One student, Scott Kretzschmar, reportedly told investigators that he was “befuddled” by the Snapchat message and went upstairs to see what was happening. He said Doe did not appear overly intoxicated and claimed he asked whether she was okay.
Matthew Ingalls, another student named in the case, gave investigators a different account and said he was too intoxicated to consent.
The various accounts have contributed to a complicated picture of what happened that night.
Cornell ultimately imposed disciplinary measures on the students, including expulsions and suspensions. The university also permanently closed the Chi Phi chapter involved.
No Criminal Charges Were Initially Filed
The original criminal investigation ended without charges against the seven men.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said that Doe’s initial statement to investigators differed substantially from the allegations later made in the civil lawsuit.
Her attorney, Thomas P. Giuffra, has strongly disputed that characterization and argued that important evidence, including the fraternity group-chat message, was not adequately pursued.
The case took a major turn in September 2026, when Doe filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell and the seven men.
Following the renewed attention, New York officials announced that the criminal investigation would be reopened.
New York Attorney General Letitia James was appointed special prosecutor to oversee the renewed investigation, while Cornell has also commissioned an independent review of its handling of sexual-misconduct cases.
The Case Is Now Back In The National Spotlight
The controversy has grown far beyond Cornell’s campus.
Students and faculty have protested the university’s handling of the case, while the newly revealed messages have intensified questions about what happened inside the fraternity house and whether the original investigation went far enough.
At the same time, the men accused in the lawsuit have not been criminally convicted, and some have disputed the allegations and the disciplinary findings against them.
Now, with a criminal investigation underway again and new scrutiny surrounding Newell’s reported move to another university, the questions surrounding that night are far from settled.
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