Former Cornell student sues university, fraternity members over alleged sexual assault

A former Cornell University student is suing the university and seven fraternity members, claiming she was drugged and sexually assaulted for hours at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024.

The lawsuit, filed in New York, says the woman was 20 when two fraternity members encouraged her to ingest what they said was ketamine and sexual activity began without her consent. The complaint says other men later joined in the alleged assault.

According to the lawsuit, one of the men allegedly wrote in the fraternity’s Snapchat group, “Chi Phi Actives,” that there was “free p***y,” while the woman was unconscious. The complaint says more men showed up after the message and the assault lasted for hours.

Three weeks later, the woman reported the alleged assault to Cornell police, the lawsuit states. Her lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, claimed that Cornell looked into the allegations but that only two of the seven students accused were expelled and others received lesser sanctions.

The Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office said it had reviewed the police investigation in the past and found “insufficient evidence to support criminal charges.” The office has since reopened the criminal investigation, ABC News reports.

Cornell said it investigated the allegations under university policies, and the Chi Phi chapter remains barred from campus. The allegations have not been proven in court.