Diego Sarabia has recently attracted public attention after being named as one of seven defendants in a civil lawsuit connected to allegations involving a former Cornell University student and the Chi Phi fraternity. The lawsuit concerns an alleged incident at the fraternity house in October 2024, while the claims remain unresolved through the legal process.
Interest in Diego Sarabia increased after the lawsuit became public in September 2026 and prosecutors announced that the earlier investigation would be reopened. This article explains who Diego Sarabia is, what the lawsuit alleges, what is publicly known about the Cornell University investigation, and what may happen next. Because the case is ongoing, the information presented here distinguishes between allegations, reported statements, and established legal findings.
Who Is Diego Sarabia?
Diego Sarabia is a former Cornell University student who has been identified in current reporting as one of seven men named as defendants in a civil lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student. Information reported by The Cornell Daily Sun identifies Sarabia as a Cornell alumnus from the Class of 2025.
Recent reports also connect Diego Sarabia to Connecticut. Court documents show that the summons and complaint in the lawsuit were sent to an address in Bethel, Connecticut. Local reporting has identified him as the Connecticut-linked defendant among the seven men named in the complaint.
Interest in Diego Sarabia increased after details of the lawsuit became public in September 2026. The renewed attention also followed the decision by the Tompkins County District Attorney to reopen the criminal investigation and consider evidence for presentation to a grand jury. Because the legal proceedings are ongoing, the allegations should be distinguished from facts that have been established in court.
Why Is Diego Sarabia in the News?
Diego Sarabia is in the news because he is one of seven defendants named in a civil lawsuit filed by a former Cornell University student identified as Jane Doe. The lawsuit concerns allegations related to an October 2024 incident at the Chi Phi fraternity house. The allegations remain unresolved, and being named as a defendant does not establish criminal guilt or civil liability.
The case received renewed attention after the civil lawsuit was filed in September 2026. Following the renewed scrutiny, Tompkins County prosecutors reopened the criminal investigation and said the case would be presented to a grand jury. More recently, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to oversee the criminal investigation, while Cornell has also faced calls for an independent review of its handling of the case.
These developments have kept Diego Sarabia and the wider Cornell case in the news. Because both the civil lawsuit and criminal investigation are ongoing, new court filings, investigative findings, and official statements may change the publicly available information as the case progresses.
What Does the Lawsuit Say About Diego Sarabia?
The civil complaint names Diego Sarabia, Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar as defendants. The lawsuit also names Cornell University and organizations connected with the fraternity and other parts of the events described in the complaint.
According to the complaint, as summarized by The Cornell Daily Sun, Sarabia was among the fraternity members alleged to have entered the room where Jane Doe was located. The lawsuit describes several allegations involving the named defendants, but these claims remain allegations contained in a civil filing and have not been established as facts by a court.
It is important to distinguish allegations from established findings. Being named as a defendant in a lawsuit does not by itself establish criminal guilt or civil liability. The civil proceedings and reopened criminal investigation are intended to examine the available evidence and determine what can ultimately be established.
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Who Is Jane Doe in the Diego Sarabia Case?
Jane Doe is the pseudonym used for the former Cornell student who filed the lawsuit. Her identity has not been publicly disclosed in the reporting reviewed for this article, and she has sought to keep her identity protected while the case continues.
According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe was 20 years old and a Cornell student when the alleged incident occurred in October 2024. She later reported the incident, and the university began its own process under its policies. The civil complaint provides additional details about what she says happened that night.
Jane Doe’s account in the lawsuit differs in important ways from the account described in the earlier police investigation. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said that the differences are part of why prosecutors are now taking another look at the evidence.
Diego Sarabia and the Other Named Defendants
The lawsuit identifies seven men as defendants. Diego Sarabia is one of those seven, alongside Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. Reports have emphasized that the men are defendants in a civil case and that the allegations remain unresolved.
Matthew Ingalls is another important name in the case because he is identified as a defendant in the complaint. Public reporting has also described different responses from some defendants or their attorneys. These responses are relevant because the parties may present different accounts as the legal proceedings continue.
The legal situation may change as prosecutors review the evidence. The reopened criminal investigation is separate from the civil lawsuit, so readers should not assume that developments in one proceeding automatically establish facts in the other.
Diego Sarabia Case at a Glance
The following table summarizes the main publicly reported facts surrounding Diego Sarabia and the Cornell case.
| Detail | Reported information |
| Main person searched | Diego Sarabia |
| University connection | Cornell University |
| Reported academic status | Cornell alumnus, Class of 2025 |
| Fraternity connected to case | Chi Phi |
| Alleged incident | October 19, 2024 |
| Plaintiff | Jane Doe |
| Lawsuit timing | September 2026 |
| Other named defendants | Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Winston Lee, Gillio Lopes, Scott Norris, Scott Kretzschmar |
| Current criminal investigation | Reopened |
| Next reported legal step | Evidence expected to be presented to a grand jury |
| Current status | Civil lawsuit and reopened investigation remain ongoing |
The information above comes from current reporting and public documents described by news organizations. The distinction between a lawsuit allegation, a university disciplinary action, and a criminal finding is important when reading about Diego Sarabia because those are separate legal and institutional processes.
What Happened at Cornell University in 2024?
The case centers on an alleged incident at a Chi Phi fraternity house connected with Cornell University in October 2024. The lawsuit says the former student was at the house after spending part of the evening elsewhere in Ithaca and later alleged that multiple fraternity members sexually assaulted her.
The student reported the incident after it occurred, according to reports and the lawsuit. Cornell subsequently conducted an institutional process. The university has said that its Office of Civil Rights and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and adjudicated allegations under university policies.
The university’s response has become part of the wider controversy surrounding the case. Cornell has said that privacy laws prevent it from discussing individual disciplinary records in detail, while confirming that the Chi Phi chapter involved remains barred from campus.
What Did Cornell University Do After the Allegations?
Cornell University has stated that it took the allegations seriously and conducted an institutional investigation. Reporting says two of the students connected with the allegations were expelled, while other students faced different university sanctions.
The university also launched a Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault after the incident. The task force later issued recommendations concerning how Cornell could address sexual assault and related campus safety issues.
Cornell has also said that the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remains barred from campus. These institutional actions are separate from the criminal investigation, which was initially closed without criminal charges and has now been reopened by the Tompkins County District Attorney’s office.
What Is the Connection to Chi Phi?
Chi Phi is the fraternity organization connected with the Cornell house where the alleged incident took place. The lawsuit identifies members of the fraternity as defendants and describes activity at the fraternity house on the night in question.
Cornell has said that the Xi chapter of Chi Phi was barred from campus following the events. Current reporting therefore treats the fraternity’s campus status as an important part of the institutional response to the allegations.
The fraternity context should not be used to imply that every Chi Phi member was involved in the allegations. The lawsuit specifically names seven individual defendants, and the legal proceedings concern the allegations made against those named parties.
Why Did Prosecutors Reopen the Investigation?
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said his office is reopening the investigation after reviewing information that became public through the civil lawsuit. He indicated that prosecutors intend to present the matter to a grand jury with Jane Doe’s cooperation.
One major issue is the difference between the woman’s initial account to police in 2024 and the account described in the later civil complaint. The district attorney said the original investigation did not establish the same circumstances alleged in the lawsuit, while the plaintiff’s attorney disputes how authorities handled the earlier report.
The reopened investigation does not mean that the allegations have been proven. It means prosecutors are taking another look at the evidence and determining whether the matter should move forward through the criminal justice system. The grand jury process will be an important next step.
What Did Florence Pugh Say About the Case?
Actress Florence Pugh became part of the public discussion after posting about the Cornell allegations on social media. Reports say she expressed concern about the allegations and called on men to take a stronger role in conversations about sexual violence and accountability.
Pugh’s comments were a public reaction to allegations described in the lawsuit rather than evidence in the legal proceedings. She also addressed what she viewed as wider concerns about institutions and the safety of women. Her comments helped bring additional attention to a case that was already receiving national coverage.
Reports also said Pugh later discussed difficulties with her Instagram post and reposted her statement. Her involvement illustrates how the case moved beyond local and university news into broader social-media and entertainment coverage.
What Happened to Diego Sarabia’s Professional Career?
Recent reports have focused on Diego Sarabia’s employment. Hindustan Times reported on September 29, 2026, that Sarabia was no longer working at Wells Fargo and linked the employment development to the renewed attention surrounding the Cornell case.
Earlier reporting had identified Sarabia as working at Wells Fargo’s Charlotte branch. TMZ also reported that he was no longer employed by the bank after the allegations became a major public story. However, his employment status is separate from the legal proceedings and does not establish whether the allegations in the case can be proven.
Because employment reports can change during an active news story, it is important to distinguish media reports about Sarabia’s professional career from confirmed court information. The legal proceedings remain ongoing, and future developments may provide additional information about the case.
Is Cornell College the Same as Cornell University?
No. Cornell College and Cornell University are two different educational institutions. Cornell University is the New York institution connected to this case, while Cornell College is a separate college located in Mount Vernon, Iowa.
This distinction matters because searches for the Cornell case can produce references to both names. Some public posts and reports have also used the phrase “Cornell College” incorrectly when discussing the 2024 incident. The case described in this article concerns Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, not Cornell College.
For readers searching Diego Sarabia, using the complete university name can help avoid confusion. The relevant institution is Cornell University, and the fraternity discussed in the lawsuit is the Chi Phi chapter associated with that campus.
What Happens Next in the Diego Sarabia Case?
The next major development is expected to come from prosecutors. The Tompkins County District Attorney has said the reopened investigation will involve presenting evidence to a grand jury. That process will help determine whether criminal charges should be pursued.
At the same time, the civil lawsuit will continue separately. A civil case can address claims for damages and institutional responsibility, while a criminal investigation focuses on whether prosecutors can establish violations of criminal law. The two processes can therefore develop on different timelines.
For Diego Sarabia, the current public record shows that he is a named defendant in the civil lawsuit and that the criminal investigation has been reopened. It does not establish criminal guilt. Future court filings, statements from the parties, and prosecutorial decisions will provide more information as the case develops.
Latest Updates in the Diego Sarabia Case in October 2026
The Cornell University case remains under public and legal scrutiny in October 2026. On October 8, reports said that lawyers for Gillio Lopes, one of the seven defendants named in the civil lawsuit, had filed a petition seeking to remove New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. The petition argues that her public comments raise concerns about impartiality. These are claims made by the defense, not a court finding that the investigation is biased.
On October 9, The Washington Post reported that a judge ordered several documents in the case to be sealed after a court filing mistakenly disclosed the address of an unrelated person who shares a name with one of the defendants. The incident raised concerns about privacy and the risks of publishing unverified personal information.
These developments do not establish whether the allegations against Diego Sarabia are true. The civil lawsuit and criminal investigation remain separate legal processes, and readers should rely on verified court records and official statements for further updates.
Frequently Asked Questions About Diego Sarabia
Who is Diego Sarabia?
Diego Sarabia is a former Cornell University student and reported Class of 2025 alumnus who has been named as one of seven defendants in a civil lawsuit connected to allegations involving the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.
Why is Diego Sarabia being searched online?
Interest in Diego Sarabia increased after the civil lawsuit became public in September 2026. His name was included among the seven defendants, and the Tompkins County District Attorney subsequently reopened the criminal investigation.
Who is Matthew Ingalls?
Matthew Ingalls is another individual named as a defendant in the civil lawsuit filed by Jane Doe. He is one of the seven men identified in the complaint alongside Diego Sarabia and five other defendants.
What did Florence Pugh say about the Cornell case?
Florence Pugh publicly commented on the allegations through social media. She expressed concern about the reported events and called for men to participate more actively in conversations about sexual violence and accountability.
Has Diego Sarabia been criminally charged?
Current reporting reviewed for this article says the seven men named in the civil lawsuit were not arrested or criminally charged when the original 2024 investigation concluded. The investigation has now been reopened, and prosecutors plan to present evidence to a grand jury.
Conclusion
The story surrounding Diego Sarabia is developing quickly after a civil lawsuit brought renewed attention to allegations involving a former Cornell University student and seven men connected with Chi Phi. Sarabia is named as a defendant in that lawsuit, while the allegations remain unresolved in court. Cornell University has described its institutional response, and the fraternity chapter involved has been barred from campus.
The biggest new development is the reopening of the criminal investigation by Tompkins County prosecutors. As the case moves toward grand-jury review and the civil lawsuit continues, additional evidence and court filings may clarify what happened and what legal consequences, if any, will follow. Until those proceedings are completed, it is important to distinguish allegations, reported responses, and established findings.
