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One of the “Cornell 7” frat boys accused of raping a classmate was a “sober monitor” at the party where the alleged incident happened — and so was the alleged victim at a party her own sorority threw that night.
Jonathan Newell was listed as a “trained event monitor” for the party Cornell’s Chi Phi threw on Oct. 19, 2024, the same party where Jane Doe alleged a drug-fueled threesome devolved into an hours-long gang rape by multiple brothers, university documents obtained by the New York Times showed.
That meant Newell was officially tasked with remaining sober during the party while monitoring for underage drinking, overcrowding and generally making sure everyone was safe throughout the night.
He was listed as the sober monitor in the official party permit Chi Phi was required to file with the school ahead of time, which allowed the party to run from 10:30 p.m. to midnight.
By 1:45 a.m., however, Doe alleged Newell was snorting ketamine and having sex with her and another Chi Phi brother, and that they became so intoxicated she was no longer able to consent to the threesome.
The night took a turn when other Chi Phis allegedly began filing into the room to snort drugs off her body, and began having sex with her without her consent.
Newell even apparently admitted to flouting his sober monitor requirements that night — telling investigators after Doe accused him of rape that he didn’t get to his frat until midnight that night and that he’d been guzzling beers and tequila at other parties until he was stumbling, according to the Times.
Here’s the latest on the ‘Cornell 7’ frat probe:
- Sick threats against ‘Cornell 7’ Jane Doe revealed — including twisted phone call threatening to ‘shoot’ her family if she doesn’t drop suit
- Two of the ‘Cornell 7’ still on campus — and teachers don’t know how to handle it: report
- New Cornell footage shows frat bros telling investigators alleged gang rape was between ‘consenting adults’
- Cornell 7 accuser’s lawyer claims frat bros ‘had meetings’ to cover up gang-rape allegations
It is unclear whether Newell realized he was supposed to be on duty at the party, as the Chi Phi brother in charge of risk management told investigators he regularly flubbed details in his party permits.
But Doe also appeared to have skipped out on her own sober duties that night.
She was listed as a sober monitor for a party her sorority was throwing at a downtown Ithaca bar that night — but started drinking after learning somebody else would be covering her duty.
Doe later said she took about “10 shots” at her sorority before heading downtown to drink more, before going to Chi Phi to meet up with the brothers she had the threesome with.
Cornell investigators later expelled Newell and the other brother involved in the threesome after Doe accused them of rape about three weeks after the October party.
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The other brothers she accused were either suspended or ordered to write essays about sexual harassment.
And prosecutors declined to bring charges against any of them, citing Doe’s own statements that she willingly drank on the night of the alleged incident — which in New York meant she was responsible for her actions while intoxicated.
Doe filed an explosive lawsuit against the brothers in September, however, and released shocking text messages Newell and other brothers sent in a fraternity-wide group chat declaring there was “free p–sy” in an upstairs bedroom and inviting people to join in the orgy.
Prosecutors have since reopened the case, while all brothers accused have denied Doe’s allegations.
