Jonathan Newell, a 21-year-old former Cornell University fraternity member accused of sending a Snapchat message inviting others to participate in an alleged 2024 gang rape, was barred from Nova Southeastern University property last week following public outcry, the Daily Mail reported.
Expulsion and Campus Ban at Nova Southeastern University
Newell enrolled at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, earlier this year after being expelled from Cornell University. His plans to resume his studies unhindered collapsed last month when a civil lawsuit brought the allegations into national view. The Daily Mail reported that NSU President Harry Moon issued a statement Monday morning confirming that steps were taken to safeguard students after the university received a flood of complaints from anxious parents.
Moon did not name Newell directly in his statement, nor did he specify whether the safeguarding measures were temporary or permanent. The private university stated it was unaware of the Jane Doe allegations when Newell first enrolled.
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 safety and well-being of each member of our campus community is a top priority. — NSU President Harry Moon
The 2024 Allegations at the Chi Phi Fraternity House
The civil complaint filed by Jane Doe alleges that Newell was one of the first men to sexually assault her at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York, on October 19, 2024. According to court filings, Doe was plied with ketamine, marijuana, and high-proof liquor before being subjected to nonconsensual group sex involving Newell and six other men.
The lawsuit claims Newell authored a Snapchat message sent to a group chat with over 50 fraternity brothers that advertised “Free p***y in alum pu.” Another fraternity member allegedly replied, “Shop still open?” after a photograph of Jane Doe was shared in the messages, according to screenshots included in the civil complaint. Newell is further accused of ordering Doe to snort a line of ketamine off his genitals, repeatedly slapping her during intercourse, and continuing to grope her after she pushed his hand away.
District Attorney Declines to Bring Criminal Charges Against Newell
Newell has never been criminally charged and has not publicly responded to the allegations. Following an investigation in 2024, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten’s office declined to bring criminal charges, stating at the time that Doe’s initial account to investigators differed substantially from the claims in her civil suit and described her participation as voluntary.
Thomas P. Giuffra, attorney for Jane Doe, disputed the district attorney’s account, arguing that opportunities to investigate the crimes thoroughly were lost because his client only spoke with the single officer who took her original complaint. Responding to the stalled legal process, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor last Thursday to conduct a fresh criminal investigation into the matter.
