A startling family connection makes the “Cornell 7” case all the more jarring.
Winston Lee, one of the seven Chi Phi fraternity brothers accused of violently mistreating a fellow Cornell University student, comes from a prominent South Korean family.
Moreover, his sister Lynn Lee worked at her own Ivy League college to prevent the kind of violence her brother is accused of.
Winston Lee’s startling family connection makes the “Cornell 7” case all the more jarring
Trigger Warning: This article contains sensitive content that may be distressing for some readers.
Back in 2024, when the seven frat brothers were questioned by Cornell police, Winston Lee had claimed the alleged victim, Jane Doe, was the one who initiated some form of s**ual act with him.
After snorting illicit substances off her body, Winston claimed Doe tried to have s*x with him. But “I kind of took a step back because I didn’t want to engage in anything like s**. I thought it wasn’t the time for that.”
However, at a later point during the night, Winston admitted to asking Doe for consent before engaging in a threes**e with her, saying: “If you’re uncomfortable with any of this or you won’t want to do this, that’s perfectly fine. We can call it a night.”
“We’re all consenting adults here,” Winston quoted Doe saying in response.
But Doe’s lawsuit paints a different picture, accusing Winston of being one of the seven frat brothers who plied her with illicit substances and ga*g r*ped her for hours at a party in October 2024.
Winston’s older sister, Lynn Lee, was a part-time communication and consent educator at Yale University
While Winston, 23, continues to grapple with the allegations, reports revealed that his sister, Lynn Lee, 24, was a part-time communication and consent educator at Yale University.
She worked to “foster a more positive s**ual and social climate on campus,” according to the school’s website.
Until last May, Lynn organized events and workshops to “help students identify troubled social and s**ual dynamics and develop skills for effective interventions,” according to the history graduate’s social media.
Lynn, Winston, and their youngest sibling June come from one of the most influential families in South Korea and have rubbed shoulders with some extremely high-profile figures.
Their late grandfather, Lee Hong-koo, was connected to Korean royalty and served as the prime minister of South Korea from 1994 to 1995. He later took up top diplomatic posts. He also served as the ambassador to the UK and the U.S.
Their late grandfather, Lee Hong-koo, served as South Korea’s prime minister in the 1990s
The Washington Times/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
It is believed he frequently met Bill Clinton, and even after the end of Clinton’s presidency, Hong-koo reportedly once invited the former American president to a Seoul hotel in 2005 so they could share the Korean dish bibimbap.
Both Hong-koo and his son Barton Lee, also known as Hyun-woo, attended Yale University before the latter’s daughter, Lynn Lee, recently graduated.
Barton is an investment banker, currently serving as managing director and head of Asia for EIG in Hong Kong.
Winston’s mother, Ji Young Hwang, serves as president of the nonprofit organization Korean Women’s Association of Hong Kong.
As for Winston’s prestigious education, he attended Seoul Foreign School in South Korea, a top private school where annual tuition is as high as $40,000.
There, he sang in the choir and scored top marks, in addition to winning a top business prize with fellow students.
He later attended UWC Atlantic College, a prestigious boarding school in Wales, nicknamed “Hippie Hogwarts,” where parents splurge up to $160,000 for its two-year International Baccalaureate course.
The British school’s alumni include Spain’s Princess Leonor and Princess Alexia from the Netherlands.
After joining Cornell, Winston joined the rugby team but landed in controversy within months
Winston graduated in 2023 and ultimately landed at Cornell University to study Information Science, joining the college rugby team and the undergraduate Asia business society in his freshman year.
Months later, he and six Chi Phi fraternity members were at the center of controversy after sophomore student Jane Doe’s accusations.
Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell, pictured below, were allegedly the first to start the s**ual activity
Three weeks after the alleged s**ual a**ault, it is believed Doe had a phone conversation with Winston, telling him she was trying to piece together what happened on the night in question.
She recalled being “deeply, deeply intoxicated,” after which Winston apologized for campus rumors spreading about her.
“I feel so bad for you, dude,” Winston said.
Winston was heard becoming defensive during a call with the alleged victim
In the same November 7, 2024 call, he was heard saying: “I’m so sorry about all the backlash you’re getting from this.”
Winston claimed he was told not to message Doe because of what she was going through.
“I was completely and totally intoxicated and then given multiple sedatives,” Doe said. “And then I was surrounded by upwards of 8 to 10 men…this is classified as ga*g r*pe.”
At this point, Winston’s tone became defensive, and he said: “What’s the purpose for why you decided to call me?”
Lee was suspended from Cornell University for two years and faced no charges like the remaining accused “Cornell 7” men.
It is believed Lee has since returned to Cornell and is studying under a different name.
His affluent family has hired the Manhattan law firm Agnifilo Intrater, which previously defended disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and jailed rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
“He is taking classes under the name Jay Lee as if nothing happened,” one claimed online
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