A transgender Cornell student killed themself after their former lover spread twisted lies about them after their breakup, according to a new lawsuit.
Winter Knutson, 19, was found dead in the water at Fall Creek Gorge, a nature preserve in Ithaca, New York, around 10.30am on November 10, 2024, after taking their own life, The Ithaca Voice reported at the time.
Knutson was a sophomore at the Ivy League and identified as a non-binary person who used they/them pronouns. They were also the child of Cornell mathematics Professor Allen Knutson, the Cornell Daily Sun reported in 2024.
Their mother, Sofia Akber, has since filed a lawsuit on October 26, claiming that her child committed suicide as a result of an escalating conflict that school administrators failed to oversee from September 14 to November 10, 2024.
Knutson lived at Cornell's Loving House dorm building, which is described as 'an environment that protects and supports Cornell University's community of LGBTQIA+ students,' the lawsuit reviewed by the Daily Mail read.
At the time, Knutson became friends with a girl and her roommate, who are both listed as defendants in the suit. The school and 10 John and Jane Does were also named.
Knutson and the friend soon developed a romantic relationship, but according to Akber, she admitted to liking her child that way as a way 'to manipulate and lead Winter on,' the filing stated.
Although Knutson sought a romantic relationship with their friend, she and her roommate, who was also referred to as the friend's 'de facto enforcer,' embarked on an alleged harassment campaign against them that included accusing Knutson of sexually assaulting their friend, the lawsuit claimed.
Winter Knutson, 19, was found dead in the water at Fall Creek Gorge - a nature preserve in Ithaca, New York - around 10.30am on November 10, 2024, after taking their own life
Knutson lived at Cornell's Loving House dorm building (pictured), which is described as 'an environment that protects and supports Cornell University's community of LGBTQIA+ students', the lawsuit reviewed by the Daily Mail read
The roommates also conducted a 'door-to-door announcement inside Loving House itself that Winter was "drugging people",' according to the complaint.
Knutson was the victim of 'six escalating episodes' at the hands of the friend and roommate, and each one was 'visible to Cornell,' the filing stated.
The lawsuit stated that the 'episodes' reached a fever pitch when Knutson's friend accused them of sexual assault, an accusation that was false and amended by their friend after their death.
Despite that, Knutson believed the narrative and confessed to it, the complaint said.
'That a teenager could be driven, in a single afternoon, to confess in writing to a crime contradicted by their own contemporaneous account, by their accuser's contemporaneous messages, and by the physical timeline, is itself the measure of the coercive power of the campaign — and of the community judgment — that [the friend and roommate] had constructed and that Cornell had allowed to metastasize unsupervised,' the filing read.
After the alleged lies were spread about them, Knutson penned a suicide note that 'centered on the destruction of their reputation, life, and future,' and then took their life that same day, the complaint stated.
The college has been accused of failing to practice what the Loving House program is all about, including being 'an intentional residential space that is inclusive to all identities to foster an environment of close-knit support and safety,' according to the lawsuit.
'Cornell made these promises in writing, on its public website, in its program-house recruitment materials, and through the formal program-house acknowledgment that every Loving House resident—including Winter—was required to sign. Cornell did not merely promise affirmation; it promised protection, support, and safety,' the filing read.
After falling victim to the alleged lies being spread about them, Knutson penned a suicide note that 'centered on the destruction of their reputation, life, and future,' and took their life that same day, the complaint stated
Akber also asserted that Cornell University should have been aware that the community at Loving House was at a higher risk of self-harm compared to the general student population – and cited the school's own research on the topic.
'Cornell knew exactly whom it was gathering. The published, peer-reviewed medical literature—including research published by Cornell's own Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research—establishes that LGBTQ+ college-age students experience significantly elevated rates of serious psychiatric conditions, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-injury relative to their cisgender heterosexual peers,' the complaint stated.
Knutson's mother has also claimed that school officials had to have been aware of what was taking place because their friend repeatedly visited counselors, advisors, and at least one police officer while she allegedly navigated her own mental health crisis, per the lawsuit.
Knutson was a sophomore at the Ivy League and identified as a non-binary person who used they/them pronouns. They were also the daughter of Cornell mathematics Professor Allen Knutson (pictured), according to the Cornell Daily Sun in 2024
Akber filed the lawsuit under Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education.
She is seeking unspecified compensatory damages, including negligence, violations of state Human Rights Law, and wrongful death.
When contacted by the Daily Mail for comment, Akber's lawyer, Reza Yassi, said: 'We look forward to proving Winter's claims in court and holding Cornell and the individual defendants accountable.
'We also hope this case brings meaningful, lasting change at Cornell, so that no one else has to go through what Winter did.'
A spokesperson with Cornell University told the Daily Mail: 'The loss of Winter Knutson was a tragedy. We will not comment on the pending litigation.'
The Daily Mail is not naming the defendants because they haven't filed a response to the litigation and could not be contacted for comment.
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