Network news attended Ballinger’s hearing – but he did not

Reporters from ABC, CBS and NBC came to broadcast from Wolfgang Ballinger’s preliminary hearing just now – but little was revealed about the circumstances of his alleged crime at Psi Upsilon.

Ballinger’s family attended the hearing – but the Cornell junior was not present. His lawyer presented the judge with a document indicating that Ballinger waived his right to attend.

The prosecution elected not to present evidence at the hearing. The case now goes to a Grand Jury, a standard procedure when someone is charged with a felony in the state of New York which determines whether the case should go to trial. No date has been set.

Ballinger has now been released from police custody on his own recognizance, meaning he did not have to post bail. His alleged victim was also absent from today’s proceeding.

It is unclear at this time whether Ballinger will be allowed to continue his studies at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration.

Ballinger, 21, said last week he will plead not guilty to attempted rape in the first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, and sex abuse in the first degree.

His alleged victim reported the assault occurred around 2am on Sunday morning after she was led to a bedroom at 2 Forest Park Lane, the Psi Upsilon house.

According to court documents, she said Ballinger locked the door and forced himself on her despite verbal protest that she was not interested.

Ballinger is accused of forceful oral sex and using his hands to sexually abuse the alleged victim, as well as attempting forcible sexual intercourse.

The initial crime alert said the female reported the assault Sunday afternoon and described the perpetrator as a “white male, approximately 170 pounds, about 5-feet 9-inches to 5-feet 10-inches tall with a medium complexion, wavy dark brown or black hair that is almost collar length.”

Ballinger was arrested on Friday after Cornell Police identified him with help from the alleged victim. He is a junior in the school of Hotel Administration and the president of Psi Upsilon fraternity.

Ballinger is a graduate of the prestigious Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which costs around $45,000 per year to attend. He played on the varsity soccer team.

The dean of the prep school sent an email to seniors yesterday about Ballinger’s case.

His father owns Webster Hall, an iconic nightclub and concert venue in the East Village of Manhattan. In 2013, Webster Hall made Celebrity Net Worth’s list of highest grossing nightclubs in the country.

Ballinger once opened a bar at the venue for the World Cup and boasted a $3,000 daily profit, reported The Daily Beast.

In a now deleted Youtube video, Ballinger spoke of his background and aspirations within the School of Hotel Administration.

He said: “I’m a first generation college student.

“I believe that my family life and my small town nature has given me the tools to strive as an entrepreneur.

“At a young age I was taught to appreciate the value of hard work, especially self-made work.”

He can be seen interviewing fellow Cornellians in this video for part of a Marketing Consulting project.

Psi Upsilon at Cornell has been suspended since February 1, the day after the assault was reported. The chapter may not engage in any activities except for the operation of its residence.

It is currently ranked #1 on Cornellfrat, where reviewers describe it as a “wealthy house” with great sorority relations. Users say the brothers “fit the stereotypical boarding school-type persona” and are “snobby elitists and not very down to earth.”

The review also says the house itself is very large and contains a squash court, and the fraternity has a “fairly rigorous pledging process” and does not have many open events.

The fraternity’s national headquarters pledged cooperation in working with Cornell and sent staff members to Ithaca to assist in the investigation.

“Sexual assault, and any form of sexual harassment, is against our policy and in opposition of the values of Psi Upsilon,” said Executive Director Thomas Fox in a statement.

“Our chapter is cooperating with Cornell’s investigation into this matter and any members involved will be held accountable.”

Tompkins County District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson, who will prosecute Ballinger, said she considers alcohol to be “probably one of the largest contributing factors” to sexual assault on campus.

Wilkinson said: “What I see over and over again…is the underage drinking on campuses that so often create an environment where violence, sexual assault and other things that happen in a thoughtless moment ruin people’s lives forever.

“If college campuses would stop permitting, or turning a blind eye, or not enforcing underage drinking, I think we would see a very different picture.”

IFC President Blake Brown ’17 said: “Through education and training, the IFC and chapter leaders hope to mitigate sexual violence within the fraternity system and throughout our campus community at large.”

The day after Ballinger’s arrest, Cornell University President Elizabeth Garrett released a statement reaffirming zero tolerance for sexual assault on campus

She said: “I am deeply disturbed by the allegations of sexual assault involving the president of Psi Upsilon.

“Sexual violence has no place at Cornell, and if these allegations are substantiated, those involved will be held accountable.

“Although I applaud the swift actions of the Interfraternity Council to mandate additional training for its members, we will be considering what additional steps should be taken to ensure the Greek community at Cornell is living up to our institutional standard of excellence and respect for others.”