Student thought to be Korean named among defendants in Cornell sexual assault lawsuit

In a New York civil case, former Cornell student Jane Doe alleges that seven current and former students forced her to take a ketamine-type drug and then sexually assaulted her at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. The suit names a student believed to be Korean among the defendants, along with Winston Lee and others. Cornell University says its civil-rights and student-conduct offices examined the allegations but will not reveal any individual sanctions, citing privacy law.

The university also confirmed that the Chi Phi chapter continues to be prohibited from operating on campus. The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office reported that a review of the police investigation did not produce enough evidence for criminal charges. Media coverage has spread beyond the campus, prompting discussion on Korean-American forums and a surge of comments on Cornell’s social-media channels.