Nearly two weeks after a civil lawsuit was filed claiming a Jane Doe was gang raped by seven fraternity brothers at Cornell University, the victim’s attorney slammed one of the alleged assailants after his attorney claimed he wasn’t involved in the assaults.
Thomas P. Giuffra, who is representing Jane Doe, told TMZ on Monday, September 28, that defendant Scott Kretzschmar has not denied receiving a Snapchat group chat in which “Free p***y” was allegedly advertised on the night she was assaulted.
“Instead of helping her, he joined in the abuse of an incapacitated young woman. No claims were ever made that he raped her,” Giuffra said. “However, he did participate in sexual abuse of Ms. Doe.”
Giuffra issued the statement after Kretzchmar’s attorney insisted he did not participate in or witness the alleged assault, instead saying he “confirmed she was all right.” The attorney also denied claims that his client snorted ketamine off the alleged victim’s body.
After Kretzchmar’s attorney said that the case was a “money grab,” Giuffra said that the defendant’s attorney, Jeremy Saland, should be “ashamed” of himself for dismissing the alleged incident in such a “crass manner.”
Giuffra added that there was one member of the fraternity who acted morally by showing Doe the Snapchat group message, which has become a critical piece of evidence in the case.
Saland did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding Giuffra’s statement.
In her lawsuit, Doe claimed that the assault took place at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024 when she was 20.
She claimed that she went to the frat house after a night of drinking, where she was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted by at least two of the fraternity brothers. She then claimed to be sexually assaulted by at least seven members of the fraternity, who allegedly learned that she was at the house from a message sent in the fraternity’s Snapchat group chat.
Doe reported the sexual assault three weeks later. Her attorney claimed that only two of the seven fraternity brothers were expelled from Cornell, while the other alleged assailants were given less severe punishments including submitting essays and attending so-called workshops.
After the Tompkins County District Attorney announced that the case was being reopened in light of the lawsuit, Cornell University issued a statement saying that the academic institution supports “the decision of the Tompkins County District Attorney (DA) to provide an opportunity for the victim’s story in the 2024 Chi Phi fraternity sexual assault case to be heard by a criminal grand jury.”
The university previously “conducted a thorough Title IX investigation, which is separate from a criminal proceeding, over the course of several months,” according to Kyle Kimball, the Vice President for University Relations.
Kimball went on to say that the “hearing panel issued a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell” following their investigation. “None of the individuals charged were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
