A memo from Nova Southeastern University this week indicated that a man named in a civil complaint about an alleged 2024 gang rape had transferred to the South Florida school after Cornell University expelled him.
Jonathan Newell graduated from the NSU University School in Davie in 2023 before attending the Ivy League school in upstate new York, according to a social-media page that posted college decisions from the high school’s seniors.
Newell is one of seven members of the Xi Chapter of the Chi Phi fraternity who allegedly raped a student at the chapter's house on Oct. 19, 2024. The complaint describes him as an instigator of the assault. The drugging and sexual assault lasted about seven hours, according to the complaint.
Court records did
not list an attorney representing Newell as of Oct. 7. Each of the seven men have denied the allegations.
What did Nova Southeastern University say?
NSU President and CEO Harry K. Moon sent a letter to students on Oct. 4 that did not identify Newell by name, but said, “We are all concerned about reports of serious allegations of sexual abuse that occurred approximately two years ago at another university and may involve a student who later transferred to NSU.”
“NSU takes these allegations seriously,” the letter read. “The safety and well-being of each member of our campus community is a top priority. I’m writing today to update you on the information we are able to provide at this time.”
“At the time of admission, the university was not aware of allegations subsequently reported in media. Once we learned of the reported incident, we acted immediately on behalf of the safety and well-being of our students and the NSU community. Because this matter involves federal law regarding an individual student, the university is legally restricted by federal regulations that limit what the university can share.”
“The university continues to monitor the situation and will remain vigilant. As a result of actions we have taken, we are not aware of any current threat to the university community with regard to the matter.”
A spokesperson for NSU did not respond to a question from The Palm Beach Post asking to confirm Newell's attendance at the university.
NSU social media floods with comments about Jonathan Newell
Some people say they are upset at how NSU, a private research university whose campus is in Davie and which has more than 20,000 students, is handling the situation.
The university’s Instagram page is full of comments about Newell, calling for his expulsion and reporting that he is enrolled in the university’s medical program. Multiple posts have their comments section turned off.
One user said they no longer want to attend the university because they don’t feel safe on campus.
“It's such a shame,” the user wrote. “I really wanted to go to NSU but I can't feel safe knowing they have one of the Cornell 7 on campus, I've had to tell friends and family they shouldn't go too because we just can't risk it, such a shame I was so excited to join.”
NSU students also are considering a public protest, according to an email shared with The Palm Beach Post.
What happened in the alleged Cornell gang rape?
The victim, who the document calls Jane Doe, was 18 years old when she flew more than 1,000 miles away from her home to attend Cornell, in the Finger Lakes region about 150 miles southeast of Buffalo, according to the complaint.
Cornell promoted fraternity and sorority membership as a “vital” part of the community and Greek organizations as a way to make friends and expand educational and professional opportunities, the complaint said.
When Jane Doe moved on campus, she didn’t know Cornell had been the site of sexual assaults and rapes. Students were “afraid, protesting and demanding reforms,” the complaint said.
Cornell started groups to address these concerns. Still, at least five cases of drugging and two reports of sexual assault happened on campus at fraternity sites in the fall of 2022, the complaint reads.
When Jane Doe got to Cornell, she “immediately encountered a glorified — yet materially false and misleading — facade of Cornell University Greek life,” the complaint reads. She joined Tri-Delta National’s Alpha Beta Chapter sorority.
On Oct. 19, 2024, Jane Doe drank alcohol at her sorority house and then took an Uber to Moonie’s Bar and Nightclub. There, she was served alcohol, even though she had an “X” marked on her hands to show that she was under 21 years old. She then went to another bar, the Lot 10 Bar and Lounge, and was given an “under 21” wristband.
Later that night, she left Lot 10 and “stumbled alone” to Chi Phi National’s Xi Chapter fraternity house to hang out with Matthew Ingalls, her friend and fraternity member. She was “visibly intoxicated” at this point, the complaint reads.
Ingalls greeted her and gave her more alcohol before dancing with her and pulling her to a quieter area and suggesting she have a threesome with him and another fraternity member.
“In her drunken state, Plaintiff was incapable of consenting to this proposition,” the complaint reads.
The complaint alleges that Newell and Ingalls pressured Jane Doe into snorting ketamine, a medication used as an anesthetic and to treat chronic pain and psychiatric disorders. She said she had never tried the drug before.
They also plied her with marijuana and a type of high-proof rum, according to the complaint.
Then, they engaged in sexual acts with her without her consent, according to the complaint. Newell then sent a message in a Snapchat group chat called “Chi Phi Actives” claiming there was “free p****” upstairs, the complaint reads.
“In doing so, Defendant Newell organized and encouraged other Xi Chapter members to join in on the gang rape of Plaintiff in the Xi Chapter fraternity house,” reads the complaint.
More fraternity members entered the room as Jane Doe “retreated under the covers of the bed, to hide her naked body from the fraternity men” and “felt as if there was no way for her to escape this room full of predatory, fraternity men.”
The sexual assault continued, the complaint alleges. The men instructed her to snort more ketamine until she was “completely incapacitated,” it states.
At about 6 a.m. the next day, the assault ended and she lost consciousness. Later that day, she woke up and returned to her sorority house. She noticed bruising on her body and took urinary tract infection medication preemptively, the complaint reads.
Jane Doe reported the incident to Cornell police, and the Xi Chapter was suspended. The men were temporarily removed from the university and given the opportunity to “mitigate their conduct by submitting essays to Cornell,” the complaint reads. The New York Times reported on Oct. 3 that Newell and Ingalls were expelled.
Cornell released a statement regarding its open investigation into the “serious and deeply disturbing allegations of drug abuse and sexual violence at the Chi Phi fraternity house,” the complaint said.
The university conducted its investigation under Title IX of the U.S. civil rights law, which bars sexual misconduct at universities receiving federal money. The Ithaca Police Department is still investigating, the complaint said.
Cornell sexual assault investigation has been reopened
New York prosecutors reopened the sexual assault investigation after Jane Doe filed the civil lawsuit in September. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten confirmed that decision to USA TODAY. Cornell University said on Sept. 28 that it supports the decision.
Van Houten said charges were not brought in November 2024 when the woman first told university police because at that time, she did not allege that she was either drugged or assaulted.
“On the contrary, Jane Doe’s statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual,” he said.
Van Houten said he has considered bringing charges and has since contacted the woman’s attorneys. The New York Times reported that the district attorney’s office reviewed a six-page statement signed by Jane Doe and declined to review any additional evidence that the campus police department had beyond that.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James to lead the criminal investigation after calling the initial probe “deeply flawed.” James likely will make the decision about who to bring charges against and when.
A special committee of the Cornell University Board of Trustees retained Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general of the United States, to review the university’s sexual assault policies and procedures. She will lead “a comprehensive independent review of how the University prevents and responds to sexual harassment, sexual assault and related misconduct on campus,” Cornell said in an Oct. 6 prepared statement.
She will also review the university’s response to Jane Doe’s allegations in October 2024.
“The questions raised by the Jane Doe matter warrant a rigorous examination of Cornell’s response to that case, but our responsibility is broader,” wrote Anne Meinig Smalling, Chair of the Special Committee, in the statement.
“We have asked Ms. Yates and her team to examine Cornell’s overall approach to preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, identify where we are doing things well and where we can do better, and recommend changes that will help make our community safer.”
USA TODAY reporter Saleen Martin and editor Joel Shannon contributed to this story.
Maya Washburn is a Trending News Reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: One of accused Cornell 7 may attend Nova Southeastern University
