Ex-Cornell student accused in fraternity lawsuit barred from Florida university, report says

A former Cornell University student named in a civil lawsuit alleging a 2024 fraternity house gang rape has been barred from the Florida university where he later enrolled, the Daily Mail reported.

Jonathan Newell, 21, was ordered to stay off Nova Southeastern University property after complaints from parents, according to the British tabloid. The university did not name him. In a statement Sunday, NSU President Harry Moon said the allegations “may involve a student who later transferred to NSU.” The university said it was unaware of the allegations when the student was admitted and that federal law limits what it can disclose. The statement did not say whether the student is still enrolled.

Mr. Newell is one of seven former Chi Phi fraternity members named in a lawsuit filed Sept. 16 by a woman identified as Jane Doe. She alleges she was coerced into taking ketamine and then sexually assaulted at the fraternity house on Oct. 19, 2024.

Cornell expelled Mr. Newell and one other defendant, according to records obtained by The New York Times and reported by The Cornell Daily Sun. The records indicate a Title IX panel found Mr. Newell responsible for sexual assault.

Mr. Newell has not been criminally charged. No criminal cases have been filed against him in Broward or Palm Beach County courts, CBS12 reported. Court records did not list an attorney for him in the lawsuit. Lawyers for two of the other men have denied that their clients participated in a sexual assault, according to The Associated Press.

The criminal case has been reopened. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Oct. 1 appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor after Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, who declined to prosecute in 2024, reopened the investigation earlier in the week. Mrs. Hochul said the attorney general’s office would present evidence to a grand jury if warranted.