A former Cornell University student filed a lawsuit in September 2024 alleging seven Chi Phi fraternity members drugged her with ketamine and gang-raped her in October 2024. The complaint claims perpetrators texted a free p–y
invitation during the assault while Cornell allegedly offered essay-writing discipline options to accused students.
The civil action, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, outlines a night that began with bar-hopping and ended in an hours-long assault at a Tudor-style fraternity mansion on the Ivy League campus in Ithaca. The plaintiff, identified in court documents as a 20-year-old former student, asserts that she withdrew from Cornell and relocated across the country following the incident. Legal filings state that the victim reported the attack to campus and city police roughly a week after it occurred.
The Snapchat Message and Campus Disciplinary Backlash
According to the lawsuit, one of the fraternity members broadcast an active invitation to the assault while the victim lay incapacitated. A screenshot included in the court file shows a message sent at 1:42 a.m. in a Snapchat group named Chi Phi Actives,
advertising free p–y
to draw additional individuals into the bedroom. Subsequent responses from group members included remarks characterized in the filings as callous commentary on the unfolding attack.
The university’s subsequent handling of the allegations has emerged as a central pillar of the litigation. The lawsuit alleges that Cornell created an environment where sexual assault and rape of persons such as Plaintiff would be tolerated
and offered certain accused students the opportunity to mitigate disciplinary penalties by submitting written essays. Public statements from the institution confirm that the Xi chapter of Chi Phi remains barred from our campus,
and note that policy violations carry potential sanctions ranging up to suspension or expulsion.
Legal Stances and Criminal Investigation Outcomes
While the civil suit proceeds through the court system, the criminal inquiry concluded without formal indictments. The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office stated that prosecutors examined the police investigation but determined there was insufficient evidence to support criminal charges against any of the seven men. None of the alleged perpetrators were arrested.
Not one of these guys was arrested. Not one.
Thomas Giuffra, attorney for the plaintiff
Legal representation for the accused fraternity members has pushed back against the civil complaint. Jeremy Saland, an attorney representing defendant Scott Kretzschmar, disputed the allegations, maintaining that the defense possesses witness statements, documentary records, and scientific evidence that contradict the plaintiff’s narrative.
Institutional Reform and Broader Campus Statistics
The lawsuit arrives against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny regarding student safety and administrative accountability within Cornell Greek life. Following the October 2024 incident, the university established a Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault. That task force released a comprehensive report in March 2026 featuring recommendations focused on prevention, reporting mechanisms, and institutional oversight.
Data released by the university indicate ongoing challenges with campus climate. A Cornell survey published in 2025 revealed that 35% of undergraduate women who responded reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact during their time enrolled, compared to 23% in a preceding 2023 survey. University officials noted that the 2025 survey suffered from a substantially lower response rate, which limits direct year-over-year comparisons.
Litigation Outlook and Unresolved Questions
The civil complaint names multiple defendants, including Cornell University, local and national Chi Phi entities, Tri Delta sorority organizations, a former fraternity chapter president, an Ithaca nightclub, and seven individual fraternity members. The lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages alongside a jury trial.
As the legal process moves forward, key questions remain concerning the exact administrative penalties levied against each of the seven accused students. While university officials state that federal privacy regulations restrict the public disclosure of individual student disciplinary outcomes, the civil proceedings will test the extent of a university’s legal liability for student misconduct originating within off-campus or affiliated fraternity housing.
