Cornell Sued by Mother of Nonbinary Student Who Died by sᩚuᩚiᩚcide After Alleged Harassment Inside LGBTQ+ Dorm

The mother of a 19-year-old Cornell University student who died by sᩚuᩚiᩚcide has filed a lawsuit accusing the prestigious university of failing to protect her child from an alleged campaign of harassment inside a residence hall designed to support LGBTQ+ students.

Sofia Akber filed the federal lawsuit on October 26, 2026, on behalf of herself and the estate of her child, Fionn Ivar Knutson, who was known as Winter and used they/them pronouns.

Knutson was a sophomore at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and lived in Loving House, a residential community established to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ students.

According to the lawsuit, Knutson became close to another student in the residence hall, and the two developed a friendship that the student allegedly encouraged to become romantic.

However, the relationship eventually deteriorated, triggering what the complaint describes as a series of six escalating incidents involving the student and their roommate.

Akber alleges that the pair participated in a campaign of harassment against Knutson, including spreading accusations that Knutson had sexually assaulted a friend and was secretly drugging people.

One particularly disturbing allegation involved claims that the accusations were announced to other residents through door-to-door conversations inside Loving House.

The lawsuit disputes the 𝘴єxual assault accusation, describing it as false and alleging that the situation became increasingly hostile as rumors spread throughout the residential community.

The complaint also claims that Knutson’s friend had repeated interactions with university counselors, advisers and other personnel during the period of conflict, meaning Cornell administrators should have been aware of the escalating situation.

Knutson died by sᩚuᩚiᩚcide in November 2024, on the same day the friend allegedly accused them of 𝘴єxual assault.

The lawsuit argues that Cornell failed to recognize warning signs, adequately supervise the residential community and provide the protection and support it had promised students living at Loving House.

It also criticizes the university’s handling of the residence hall’s Discord server, which allegedly became a central place where conflicts and accusations circulated without sufficient oversight.

Akber claims Cornell had a responsibility to ensure that the residential program was genuinely safe and supportive, particularly given the mєntal health challenges that can affect vulnerable young people.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified financial damages and includes claims of wrongful dєatᩚh, negligence and discrimination under New York human rights law.

A Cornell spokesperson described Knutson’s dєatᩚh as a tᩚraɢedy but declined to comment further because the litigation is pending.

“The loss of Winter Knutson was a tᩚraɢedy,” the university said in a statement.

Akber is represented by attorney Reza Yassi, who said he looked forward to proving the claims in court and holding Cornell and the individual defendants accountable.

The allegations have not yet been established in court, and the lawsuit’s claims against the named individuals and university remain subject to legal proceedings.

For Knutson’s family, the case is an attempt to obtain accountability for what they believe happened inside a university residence that was supposed to offer safety, acceptance and support.

Source:  DAILYMAIL