Detroit-Area Man Named In Cornell Rape Lawsuit: Report

A Detroit-area man has been named in a lawsuit that accuses multiple Cornell University fraternity members of raping a student in 2024, according to a report.

WDIV reports Scott Kretzchmar, of St. Clair County, and six other students were named in the civil lawsuit.

The suit claims Kretzchmar and six other Chi Phi fraternity members forced a woman to use drugs and sexually assaulted her for several hours on the night of Oct. 19, 2024, and into the morning of Oct. 20, 2024.

Kretzchmar's lawyer, Jeremy Saland, strongly denied the allegations in a statement to the Belleville News-Democrat.

"It is disappointing the claims against him were even made by the plaintiff considering we possess documents that thoroughly corroborate our position while discrediting hers, including her own words, statements from other parties, and scientific evidence demonstrating they are false," he told the outlet.

The lawsuit prompted Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten to reopen the investigation, which initially resulted in no charges, his office said on Monday.

The woman originally went to police after the incident, but Van Houten said she didn't make any claims of being gang-raped or drugged in her initial sworn statement to authorities, PBS reported.

Cornell also said they conducted a thorough Title IX investigation, which included expulsions and suspensions but no charges.

Additionally, the Chi Phi fraternity remains barred from campus, and officials put together a campus sexual assault task force, which made several recommendations that have been enforced.

Cornell now has a website where students can report bias, discrimination or harassment incidents, including sexual misconduct.

The woman's lawyer, Thomas P. Giuffra, told NBC News that university officials failed to follow up on key pieces of evidence, including the group chat.

"That available evidence was there. They could have utilized it," he told the news station. "What they should have done is investigated who was on that group chat and interviewed witnesses and developed evidence. That’s what investigators do, and that was not done at all."

The Chi Phi national headquarters told CBS News New York the allegations are "deeply concerning."

"While we cannot discuss the specific allegations during pending litigation, we take this matter seriously," the group told the news station. "Our responsibility is to approach this with care for those affected and respect for a fair legal process."

The Ithaca Police Department was also still investigating the incident, according to the lawsuit.