Cornell 7 Accused Frat Brother Umar Matthew Ingalls Reportedly Left United States for Dubai

Umar Matthew Ingalls, a former Cornell University student accused alongside six fraternity brothers in the Cornell 7 civil lawsuit, is believed to have left the United States for Dubai, according to the Daily Mail. The report emerged amid a renewed criminal investigation into allegations stemming from an October 2024 party at the Chi Phi fraternity house.

The lawsuit, filed by a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe, alleged that the seven defendants sexually assaulted her on 19 October 2024, The Blast reported. Cornell's subsequent Title IX investigation resulted in Ingalls and Jonathan Newell being expelled, while other defendants received varying sanctions.

Cornell 7 Defendant's Reported Dubai Whereabouts

The Daily Mail's account of Ingalls' whereabouts relied on a neighbour of his relatives who spoke to the publication. His return to Dubai, where he spent much of his youth, remains a reported belief.

Court papers list a Fairfield, Connecticut, address belonging to his paternal uncle, but a woman at the property stated that Ingalls did not live there, according to the report.

Ingalls, described in the report as 21, reportedly moved with his family to the United Arab Emirates around 2016. He attended a private school in Emirates Hills before choosing Cornell in 2023 to study maths and economics.

Disputed Accounts in the Cornell 7 Case

According to The Blast's reporting on the 101-page lawsuit, Doe alleged that she had consumed approximately ten drinks before reaching the fraternity house. She alleged that she was subsequently pressured to take ketamine, marijuana and high-proof rum.

The suit alleged that Ingalls proposed a threesome involving Newell before the encounter escalated into alleged assaults. Doe reported the allegations to Cornell University Police on 8 November, telling investigators, 'I can say with 100 percent confidence I was raped.'

Ingalls presented a different account. The Blast reported that he told campus police he was too intoxicated from alcohol and ketamine to consent and alleged that Doe had sexually assaulted him.

A reported recording of a call between Ingalls and Doe, recorded days after the alleged incident, included his statement, 'You did tell me you were sober, by the way.' In that conversation, he described the encounter as beginning after she agreed to his proposition.

The Blast also reported on a 7 November 2024 call that Doe recorded with Winston Lee. She described herself as 'completely and totally intoxicated' and alleged that multiple sedatives had been provided before 'upwards of 8 to 10 men' entered the room.

Lee disputed knowing that anything improper was happening, telling her, 'There was nothing to say that ... anything was happening in that room or anything.'

Cornell 7 Investigation and University Review

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to prosecute in 2024. He stated that Doe's signed statement did not allege that she had been drugged, incapacitated or forced into sexual activity.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has since appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor for a fresh criminal investigation. Cornell permanently banned Chi Phi from campus.

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced that the board of trustees would conduct an outside legal review of 'all aspects of Cornell's handling of the 2024 matter'. He also stated that the university would not wait for the review before beginning changes.