Cornell 7 Defense Files for Gag Order Over Claims of Media Coordination

Attorneys representing one of the seven men accused in a high-profile Cornell University sexual assault case have filed a motion for a gag order, alleging the plaintiff’s legal team coordinated with student media before the civil lawsuit was officially filed. The legal filing, submitted in New York Supreme Court on October 13, 2026, marks an escalation in the defense’s efforts to limit public discourse surrounding the “Cornell 7.”

James Knox and Alishah Bhimani, lawyers for defendant Diego Sarabia, claim that Thomas Giuffra, the attorney for the plaintiff identified as Jane Doe, worked with The Cornell Daily Sun to orchestrate coverage prior to the commencement of the civil suit on September 16, 2026. The defense argues that such coordination, along with public statements comparing the case to high-profile federal sex trafficking investigations, could prejudice potential jurors and compromise the right to a fair trial.

The civil lawsuit alleges that in October 2024, a former Cornell student was drugged and gang-raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house. The seven defendants named in the litigation are Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. While the incident occurred two years ago, the case has recently re-emerged as a significant legal and political flashpoint in New York.

The Chi Phi chapter was permanently barred from Cornell's campus following an earlier investigation.

In their request for a gag order, Sarabia’s defense team specifically pointed to reporting they claim was facilitated by Giuffra’s firm, Rheingold Giuffra Ruffo & Plotkin LLP. They also cited recent legal filings in which Giuffra allegedly compared the allegations against the Cornell defendants to the criminal case against Sean “Diddy” Combs. The defense contends these comparisons are inflammatory and intended to influence the public narrative before the criminal investigation concludes.

The criminal aspect of the case has seen recent movement after nearly two years of dormancy. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the investigation in late September 2026 for grand jury review. Shortly thereafter, Governor Kathy Hochul intervened, and New York Attorney General Letitia James was appointed as the special prosecutor to lead the criminal probe.

The allegations have already had administrative consequences at the university level. Following a 2025 Title IX investigation, Cornell University expelled two students and permanently barred the Chi Phi chapter from campus.

A judge has not yet ruled on the motion for the gag order. The appointment of the Attorney General as special prosecutor follows public scrutiny of the “voluntary intoxication loophole” in New York law, which has historically complicated prosecutions in cases where a victim was incapacitated by substances they chose to consume, though the civil suit specifically alleges the plaintiff was drugged without her knowledge.

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