The New York prosecutors have reopened an alleged 2024 sexual assault case at Cornell University. The survivor, a former student of the university, has filed a civil lawsuit accusing seven Chi Phi fraternity members of drugging and sexually assaulting her.
She is now suing the university and the fraternity members, alleging that they failed to protect her and prevent the alleged incident.
Celebrities including Florence Pugh and Josh Gad publicly reacted to the allegations against the university.
Winston Lee, Scott Kretzschmar, Scott Norris, Matthew Ingalls, Johnathan Newell, Gillio Lopes, and Diego Sarabia were alleged of raping her. She claimed that she was drugged and raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell in 2024.
According to the lawsuit, the survivor was 20 years old at the time of the incident and was visiting a friend at Cornell's Chi Phi that day.
She alleged that while she was drugged, two frat brothers pressured her into snorting what they said was ketamine.
Multiple people "began engaging in sexual acts (including both oral and vaginal intercourse) with Plaintiff, all without her consent," said the lawsuit.
It also added that while the survivor lay unconscious, one of the men allegedly wrote in the frat's Snapchat group titled Chi Phi Actives that there was "free p***y", suggesting that a woman was available for sex.
More people showed up after the message was dropped.
The survivor reported the assault to the university's police department after about three weeks. Thomas Giuffra, survivor's attorney pointed out that after the complaint, Cornell conducted an internal investigation, but only two of the seven accused were expelled. Others got lesser punishments, including suspensions, workshops, or essays.
suit said that Cornell "created an environment where sexual assault and rape of persons such as Plaintiff would be tolerated" and failed to "discipline or remove" the students.
"Not one of these guys was arrested. Not one. That I can tell you for a fact," Giuffra said, according to the CBS report.
"There were so many people that could have prevented it, and they didn't. I've never seen anything like it," Giuffra added.
The woman reportedly dropped out of school after the alleged assault.
In the lawsuit, the woman accused Cornell and the other defendants of breach of contract, negligence, and violations of state law. She has sought monetary damages, including compensatory and punitive damages, but the lawsuit does not specify how much she is seeking.
"She's not in college anymore because of this. She's barely hanging on for what these guys did to her," Giuffra said.
The Chi Phi national headquarters also responded to CBS News over the allegations.
"The sexual assault allegations involving parties at Cornell University are deeply concerning. Anyone who reports sexual violence deserves to be heard and treated with compassion, dignity, and respect," the statement said.
"We are aware of the lawsuit concerning an alleged incident in 2024. While we cannot discuss the specific allegations during pending litigation, we take this matter seriously. Our responsibility is to approach this with care for those affected and respect for a fair legal process," it added.
