Cornell student drops lawsuit against man misidentified as fraternity president

WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (OPA) — The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, filed a notice of discontinuance on Tuesday to remove Petito from her civil complaint. Petito’s attorney, Eric Bernstein, confirmed the dismissal, stating his client was not serving as the chapter’s president at the time of the alleged October 19, 2024, incident. The identity of the actual fraternity president remains unconfirmed.

Doe’s lawsuit continues against seven other fraternity members: Matthew Ingalls, Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. The defendants have denied the allegations, asserting that interactions were consensual or that they were not involved. The lawsuit claims the men manipulated the student into ingesting ketamine and alcohol before the alleged assault occurred.

Campus police investigated the report in November 2024, but the Tompkins County district attorney declined to file criminal charges. Following public outcry, New York Governor Kathy Hochul removed the district attorney from the case earlier this month. New York Attorney General Letitia James has since assumed control of the investigation, while Cornell University has retained former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent review of the school's response.

Cornell has shuttered the Chi Phi chapter and expelled or suspended several students involved in the case. Last week, the university suspended all social events at fraternity houses through the 2026-27 academic year. University President Michael Kotlikoff is currently facing a no-confidence resolution from the faculty senate as the institution struggles to address the fallout from the allegations and its subsequent administrative handling.