Scott Kretzschmar

Introduction

Scott Kretzschmar is a member of the Xi chapter of Chi Phi at Cornell University and one of seven fraternity members named in a civil complaint filed in New York state court in Manhattan on Sept. 14, 2026, alleging that a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe was drugged and gang raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house in Ithaca, New York, on the night of Oct. 19–20, 2024 . He is the only defendant who has responded publicly, denying the claims through his attorney, Jeremy Saland . He has never been criminally charged; the district attorney found insufficient evidence to support charges and no arrest was made .

Background Information

The lawsuit identifies him as Scott Kretzschmar ‘26 . Cornell’s directory listed his college as “not applicable,” and The Cornell Daily Sun reported it was unable to confirm his academic status . According to the complaint, temporary suspensions were issued to him along with the other six student defendants and the chapter on Nov. 8, 2024 . The same complaint names Cornell University, Chi Phi’s national and local organizations, Tri Delta entities, the chapter’s then-president Orazio Petito and Moonies Bar & Nightclub .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations. The claims in this section are allegations from a civil complaint filed in New York state court on Sept. 14, 2026, reported in detail by The Cornell Daily Sun and other outlets. They have never been admitted by Kretzschmar, never been criminally charged — the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office found insufficient evidence to support charges — and never been adjudicated in court. No defendant had answered the complaint as of publication. Kretzschmar denies all of them: his attorney, Jeremy Saland, says the defense possesses documents, witness statements and scientific evidence that he says demonstrate the allegations are false.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff — then 20 years old and a Cornell student — spent the evening of Oct. 19, 2024 at Cornell’s Tri-Delta house, at a Tri-Delta event hosted at Moonies Bar & Nightclub and at the Lot 10 bar, before walking alone at about 11 p.m. to the Chi Phi house at 107 Edgemoor Lane to meet her friend, defendant Matthew Ingalls .

According to the filing, Newell sent a message about “free pussy” upstairs to the “Chi Phi Actives” Snapchat group at approximately 1:42 a.m., after which multiple members — including defendant Diego Sarabia — entered the room while the plaintiff tried to hide her naked body under the covers . Court-filed screenshots reported by the New York Post show one member replying “crazy work” and another writing that others could “walk in and whip it out” .

The lawsuit alleges that, while the plaintiff lay on her back, the seven named students — Ingalls, Newell, Lee, Lopes, Sarabia, Norris and Kretzschmar — poured and snorted lines of ketamine over her body, and that she was in a “very vulnerable situation” when she was allegedly sexually assaulted by the seven, who the filing claims were “fully aware” of her condition . The complaint states the assault lasted until about 5:45 a.m., when she was completely incapacitated . Kretzschmar’s attorney disputed the allegations in a statement sent to the Daily Sun after its initial report: “We wholeheartedly deny the allegations in the complaint against Scott Kretzschmar. It is disappointing the claims against him were even made considering we possess documents that thoroughly corroborate our position, including her own words, statements from other parties, and scientific evidence demonstrating they are false.”

Public Reaction and Consequences

The plaintiff reported the incident to the Cornell University Police Department on Nov. 8, 2024; that same day the Xi chapter and all seven named students were placed on temporary suspension, and Cornell suspended the chapter and the students the following month . The university’s Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards investigated and adjudicated the allegations, and the Xi chapter “remains barred from our campus”; Cornell has declined to describe individual sanctions, citing federal privacy law . The plaintiff’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra, has said only two of the seven accused members were expelled and that others received suspensions, workshops or essays, an account Cornell declined to confirm . National coverage followed, led by a New York Post exclusive ; on Sept. 21, 2026, the Cornell Daily Sun’s editorial board named all seven student defendants individually, writing: “We know who you are and we refuse to let you benefit from this University’s concealment.”

Current Status

No criminal charges have been filed. The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office said it “conducted a thorough review of the police investigation” but found “insufficient evidence to support criminal charges,” and the plaintiff’s attorney has said none of the seven accused men was arrested . The civil case will be decided on a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, a lower burden than a criminal conviction requires . Cornell’s Title IX investigation, opened in January 2025 after the plaintiff filed a formal complaint, is believed to have concluded, while the Ithaca Police Department’s investigation is reported to remain open . Kretzschmar remains a named defendant, and his attorney has said the defense intends to contest the claims .

Impact on Their Career/Life

Kretzschmar faces claims of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and the lawsuit seeks damages from all defendants . Two of the seven accused members were expelled according to the plaintiff’s attorney, with lesser sanctions for others, though Cornell has released no individual outcomes . The allegations against Kretzschmar remain unproven and unresolved .

Sources

*The Cornell Daily Sun, “Cornell, Chi Phi Sued by Victim of Alleged Gang Rape, Drugging in 2024,” Sept. 18, 2026 — source
*The Cornell Daily Sun, “University Releases Statement on Alleged Gang Rape at Chi Phi,” Sept. 21, 2026 — source
*The Cornell Daily Sun, “EDITORIAL | Cornell Won’t, We Will,” Sept. 21, 2026 — source
*Cornell University, “Update on the lawsuit concerning allegations of sexual assault,” Sept. 21, 2026 — source
*CBS News New York, “Cornell University and 7 Chi Phi fraternity members face lawsuit over rape allegations,” Sept. 2026 — source
*The Daily Caller, “‘Walk In And Whip It Out’: Ivy League Frat Brothers Reportedly Drug, Gang-Rape Student,” Sept. 19, 2026 — source
*Law Commentary, “Cornell Sued After Student Says 7 Fraternity Members Drugged and Gang-Raped Her, Some Faced ‘Essay’ Discipline,” Sept. 2026 — source