The Cornell 7 lawsuit continues in the public eye, with Hulu launching a new documentary called “The Cornell Seven: IMPACT x Nightline”. The hour-long documentary discusses what was reported in the lawsuit, and the things that followed the night of October 19th, 2024.
A big piece of evidence highlighted throughout the episode released on October 9th, 2026 involves the text messages sent in the frat brothers Snapchat group chat, and the exchanges between Jane Doe and the frat brothers. According to the evidence presented in the Hulu episode, Jane Doe frequently asked the frat brothers questions about that night with the purpose of putting the missing pieces together.
The Cornell Daily Sun is a newspaper written by students attending Cornell, it is not officially affiliated with the school.
On September 18, 2026 the newspaper published a story “Cornell, Chi Phi Sued by Victim of Alleged Gang Rape, Drugging in 2024,” detailing the lawsuit, taking information directly from the court documents. The author, Cereese Qusba, was able to get into contact with the woman who filed the lawsuit and her attorney to get her side of the story as well. According to the author, the sexual assault report was sent in a campus wide email to all students at Cornell University.
As a State University of New York, SUNY Cortland has spoken out and advocated multiple times since the outbreak of this case. Sororities like Delta Phi Epsilon, Alpha Phi, and Alpha Sigma Alpha have all spoken out about their position in sexual and drug violence, that they in no way support the alleged behavior. “In light of the recent events at Cornell, our hearts are with the survivors of sexual violence and everyone who has been affected…As a sisterhood, we are committed to standing beside one anotherm looking out for those around us, and creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable using their voice.” (Alpha Phi instagram post, October 1st, 2026)
The Sigma Delta Tau sorority also held a Title IX training on October 13th, 2026, to teach the sorority members about their resources and what to do if they were to ever find themselves in this position.
Red Dragons at SUNY Cortland, reach out to Title IX to report Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assualt, Discrimination, Domestic Violence, and more. Email titleix@cortland.edu or call 607-753-2263. Office hours are from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM located in Miller Building in front of Old Main, Suite 303.
In the event of an emergency call 911.
An alumni student Sami Sage who graduated in 2011, spoke about her time at Cornell. According to her experience: Sex, drugs, and partying were not private, were quite publicized on campus, and were considered “normal”. The Daily Sun continues to cover the story as protests happen throughout campus and more evidence is revealed to the public.
Matthew Ingalls is one of the fraternity brothers named in Jane Doe’s lawsuit who is discussed on the Nightline special. Ingalls has been accused of allegedly engaging in sexual acts with the plantiff, without her consent, according to the lawsuit read off by Aaron katersky, ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent. Ingalls is adamant, along with the 6 other men accused, that he did not commit the acts he is accused of. Transcripts from phone calls with Ingalls and from the court appearances show that he states Jane Doe fully consented to all the acts, and even played a dominant role in the actions that took place the night of October 19, 2024.
On October 1, 2026 Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order appointing General Letitia James as the prosecutor for the Cornell sexual assault case.
“New information has raised serious questions about how this case was handled, and I’ve lost faith in the Tompkins County DA’s ability to fairly oversee it” wrote Governor Kathy Hochul in an facebook post on October 1 “The young woman at the center of this case deserves to know that every fact will be examined and justice pursued.”
One of the students on the Cornell Daily Sun said that “No one’s going to advocate for a Cornell student better than a Cornell student.” (Ameera, Nightline, 2026, 40:03) and plan to continue using their voice in hopes for a greater impact on the school, and other universities around the world.