Cornell fraternity rape lawsuit reveals safety monitor role and text messages

Internal paperwork shows that 21-year-old Jonathan Newell was listed as a sober safety monitor at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York on October 19, 2024, the night of an alleged assault. The Daily Mail, citing internal Cornell records detailed by The New York Times, reported that Newell was meant to be one of seven trained monitors tasked with promoting safer partying during the event. [1]

The revelation comes amid ongoing legal developments surrounding the accuser, known as Jane Doe. The New York Post reported that Doe was misled by Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten regarding the status of a criminal investigation. According to her attorney, the district attorney decided against pressing charges shortly after campus police first spoke with her. [2]

Additional details from text messages between Jane Doe and one of the accused fraternity members shortly after the alleged incident were reported by the New York Post and TMZ. In the messages, Doe wrote that she did not think they should feel any shame and added the phrase our body our choice. [5][12]

The accuser has also faced safety concerns following the lawsuit. The Washington Examiner reported that lawyers for Jane Doe said she was terrified after receiving death threats and experiencing a recent swatting incident at her home. [6][7]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell University, its Chi Phi fraternity chapter, and seven former students alleging she was drugged and gang raped in 2024. The lawsuit has previously sparked campus protests, death threats against the accuser, and mistaken identification of uninvolved individuals. [15][16]