Former Cornell student Jane Doe's Sept. 16 civil suit accuses seven Chi Phi members of sexually assaulting her for seven hours in 2024 and says she was drugged. Two defendants deny the claims; prosecutors reopened the criminal probe on Sept. 28, after no charges were filed.
Scott Kretzschmar's lawyer said a hair-follicle test showed no ketamine in his system and denied that he touched or sexually assaulted Doe. Scott Norris, through a lawyer, denied sexual activity and drug use; he said he briefly entered the room, but not during the alleged misconduct, and acknowledged sending a Snapchat message cited in the complaint. Norris also said Cornell had not found him responsible for the sexual-activity or drug-use allegations.
Doe's lawsuit says she left Cornell because of trauma from the alleged assault. It also alleges that two men were expelled and five were made to write essays as punishment; Cornell said its separate Title IX process included a multi-day hearing and sanctions such as suspensions and expulsions, and denied that essays were offered as anyone's sole consequence. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said Doe's 2024 account to investigators differed from her civil complaint, explaining why charges were not initially filed; he said his office does not conduct parallel investigations with police.
