Moonies Bar and Nightclub in downtown Ithaca, New York, has rejected allegations that it supplied alcohol to a Cornell University student before she was allegedly sexually assaulted by several fraternity members.
The bar’s response comes after the student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, accused the venue of violating underage drinking laws in a civil lawsuit connected to the alleged October 2024 incident.
Jane Doe was 20 at the time and alleged that Moonies staff knew she was below the legal drinking age but continued serving her alcohol.
Jane Doe Says She Was Marked as Underage
According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe said Moonies bouncers placed a mark on her hand to indicate that she was underage.
She nevertheless alleged that bartenders continued giving her alcoholic drinks, eventually leaving her visibly intoxicated.
Jane Doe claimed she consumed the equivalent of about 10 drinks in less than three hours before leaving the bar.
She said she subsequently made her way alone to the Chi Phi fraternity house, where she alleges she was sexually assaulted by seven fraternity members during an encounter that lasted several hours.
Bar Insists Its Staff Followed Drinking Rules
Moonies has strongly disputed Jane Doe’s account.
In a statement, the bar said its employees followed its procedures and did not serve alcohol to anyone below the legal drinking age.
The venue said customers were served only when they had the appropriate wristbands and insisted that no alcohol was provided to guests whose hands had been marked as underage.
The bar therefore disputes the central allegation that its staff supplied Jane Doe with alcohol despite knowing she was underage.
Owner Raises Questions About Earlier Conversations
Moonies’ owner also addressed Jane Doe’s account by pointing to her previous connection with one of his other establishments.
The owner said Jane Doe had briefly worked at another bar he operated and had openly discussed aspects of her allegations at the time.
According to him, she did not mention being intoxicated or claim that Moonies bartenders had served her alcohol.
The comments have added another disputed account to a case that has already generated significant public attention.
Alleged Intoxication Has Become a Key Issue
Jane Doe’s level of intoxication on the night in question has become one of the central issues surrounding the case.
Audio released by ABC News includes a conversation between Jane Doe and Matthew Ingalls, one of the men named in her civil lawsuit.
During the recorded conversation, Ingalls disputed her account of being heavily intoxicated and said she had indicated that she was sober.
Jane Doe, however, told him that he knew she had consumed a large amount of alcohol before the alleged sexual encounter.
Ingalls Denies That Jane Doe Appeared Intoxicated
In the recording, Ingalls maintained that Jane Doe had persuaded him that she was not intoxicated and had not been drinking heavily before arriving at the fraternity house.
Jane Doe’s account was markedly different.
She told Ingalls that the events had caused serious physical and emotional consequences and said she had subsequently required hospital treatment and therapy.
The conversation provides competing recollections of what happened but does not by itself resolve the allegations.
Lawsuit Describes a Seven-Hour Encounter
Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit alleges that the encounter at the Chi Phi house lasted approximately seven hours.
She also alleges that she was pressured to use ketamine and that additional fraternity members became involved as the night continued.
The lawsuit names Ingalls along with Jonathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris and Scott Kretzschmar.
Jane Doe further alleges that messages were posted in a fraternity Snapchat group encouraging other members to come upstairs.
Accusations Differ From Earlier Statement to Police
The case has become particularly contentious because Jane Doe’s civil allegations differ in significant respects from her earlier account to investigators.
According to Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, Jane Doe gave a sworn statement in November 2024 describing sexual activity with two of the men as consensual.
She allegedly told investigators that she became increasingly incapacitated as more men became involved.
Van Houten has said the original investigation did not provide sufficient evidence to support criminal charges.
No Criminal Charges Have Been Filed
None of the seven men named by Jane Doe has been arrested or criminally charged in connection with the alleged assault.
Van Houten previously declined to prosecute after investigators concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish criminal wrongdoing.
The district attorney has also said investigators determined that the sexual activity at the fraternity house was consensual based on the evidence available to them at the time.
He has since defended that decision amid renewed public scrutiny.
Cornell Case Sparks Campus Protests
The allegations have triggered significant controversy at Cornell and prompted protests on campus.
The university’s handling of the incident has also attracted scrutiny, particularly after disciplinary proceedings against several students.
Two students were expelled following the university’s investigation, while two others were suspended. Two students were determined not to have been involved, while another had already graduated and was therefore beyond the university’s disciplinary reach.
Civil Lawsuit Keeps Case in Spotlight
The ongoing civil lawsuit has brought renewed attention to an incident for which prosecutors previously declined to pursue criminal charges.
Jane Doe’s allegations, the defendants’ denials, the bar’s rejection of the alcohol claims and the district attorney’s explanation of the earlier investigation represent competing accounts of events that remain heavily disputed.
As the civil proceedings continue, questions surrounding alcohol consumption, consent, the fraternity encounter and the handling of the original investigation remain at the centre of the controversy.
