EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Marine's Family Receives 'Death Threats' After He's Dragged Into 'Cornell 7' Sexual Assault Lawsuit Due to Name Mix-Up
Cornell University is at the center of an explosive sexual assault lawsuit involving seven former students.
Oct. 7 2026, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
An innocent U.S. Marine and his family have allegedly been bombarded with terrifying death threats after he was mistakenly dragged into the explosive "Cornell 7" sexual assault lawsuit because he shares the same name as one of the defendants, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to court documents obtained by Radar, an attorney representing non-party Matthew Ingalls has asked a New York judge to intervene after the service member's family address was incorrectly included in paperwork connected to Jane Doe v. Cornell University, Inc., et al.
Wrong Man Dragged Into Case
The lawsuit names Cornell University and seven former students.
The mistake allegedly unleashed a wave of harassment against a family with no connection to Cornell University or the disturbing allegations at the center of the case.
Attorney Elliot A. Hallak told Justice Phaedra F. Perry-Bond in an October 6 letter that his client merely shares the same name as one of the defendants. Hallak said the Marine "has never been to Cornell University" and was stationed at a military base in North Carolina on the date at issue in the lawsuit.
The attorney stressed the service member has "absolutely no connection or involvement" with the case.
According to the filing, the trouble began after the plaintiff submitted a Request for Judicial Intervention on September 16 that contained an address belonging to the unrelated Ingalls family.
Family Allegedly Targeted With Death Threats
The Marine allegedly became caught up in the case because he shares a defendant's name.
The plaintiff's counsel has since acknowledged the address was incorrect and filed an amended request containing a different address for the Matthew Ingalls named as a defendant, the letter states.
But Hallak claims the correction came after frightening consequences had already begun. "Due to the incorrect address contained in the initial RJI, Mr. Ingalls and his family have been the subject of continued and ongoing harassment, including death threats from members of the public," the attorney wrote.
The filing further alleges telephone numbers belonging to Ingalls' family were published, leading to "ongoing and continued threatening calls" aimed at relatives of a man who had been wrongly identified.
Hallak said the Marine and his family are now "in fear for their safety."
Attorney Asks Judge to Step In
The Marine's attorney is asking the court to remove or redact his family's incorrect address.
The situation allegedly became so serious that law enforcement officers were required to be present at the family's address to protect them.
Hallak is now asking the court to remove the original Request for Judicial Intervention from the record altogether, or redact the address belonging to the innocent service member and his family.
The attorney argued that leaving the incorrect information accessible through New York's electronic court system is causing "great hardship" to the family of an active-duty U.S. service member.
Marine Had 'Absolutely No Connection' to Case
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The service member’s attorney insists he has 'absolutely no connection or involvement' with the Cornell case.
He said the requested intervention would help "alleviate the fallout" the family has endured from having its address wrongly associated with the case.
The development comes as the underlying lawsuit against Cornell University and seven former students continues to attract scrutiny.
The Marine identified in the October 6 letter is not accused of participating in the alleged incident and is not a defendant in the lawsuit. His attorney's filing makes clear his involvement stems solely from the mistaken identification of his family's address in the court record.
