Winston Lee, identified as one of seven Cornell University fraternity members facing civil allegations of sexual assault brought forward by a student known as Jane Doe, is the grandson of a former South Korean prime minister and ambassador to the United States. Jane Doe filed the civil lawsuit alleging that in October 2024, she was given alcohol and ketamine before being sexually assaulted by multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity at their campus residence. Along with Lee, the other defendants named in the lawsuit are Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Gillio Lopes, Diego Sarabia, Scott Norris, and Scott Kretzschmar. None of the defendants have been found guilty of any criminal offense.
Cornell University enacted a two-year suspension against Winston Lee following the incident. Lee is enrolled in the university's College of Arts and Sciences for the current academic term, according to the school directory. All the men named in the lawsuit have categorically denied the accusations, and no criminal charges have been filed against them thus far.
Winston Lee's grandfather is Lee Hong-koo, a significant political figure who served as South Korea's prime minister from 1994 to 1995 and later as the nation's ambassador to the United States from 1998 to 2000 during the administration of Bill Clinton. The two political figures met on multiple occasions, including at a 2000 commemorative event at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., marking the 50th anniversary of the war. Their relationship continued after Clinton left office, highlighted by a 2005 meeting in Seoul where Lee hosted the former president for a traditional meal during a book promotional tour. Lee passed away in May, with Winston serving as the principal mourner at the funeral ceremony in Seoul, where he managed rituals and welcomed guests on behalf of the family.
Winston Lee's father, Barton Lee, is the former prime minister's only son, a Yale University alumnus, and an investment banker who works as managing director and head of Asia for EIG in Hong Kong. His mother, Ji Young Hwang, leads the Korean Women's Association of Hong Kong, a South Korean government-recognized nonprofit organization aimed at women's integration and personal development. Following the onset of the scandal, the association took down its Instagram account, drawing further public scrutiny.
For his legal defense, Lee retained a prominent law firm that previously represented high-profile figures such as Sean "Diddy" Combs and Harvey Weinstein in sexual misconduct cases. Lee previously attended the United World College of the Atlantic, an exclusive boarding school in Wales with annual tuition exceeding $150,000.