Horrific allegations that Cornell University fraternity brothers gang-raped a co-ed are nothing more than a “money grab,” a lawyer for one of the accused has claimed — while insisting his Ivy League client did little more than make an “immature comment” about the ordeal on SnapChat.
“The plaintiff can peddle any story she wants, but intentionally victimizing an innocent person for a money grab is reprehensible,” said Jeremy Saland, the lawyer for accused former Cornell student Scott Kretzschmar, to The Post late Sunday.
“While Scott made an immature comment on Snapchat, he did nothing else,” Saland said.
“For the few minutes he was in the room with the plaintiff, Scott did not see her in duress or undress, was involved in no sexual activity nor touched the plaintiff in any way and ingested no ketamine.”
Kretzschmar was one of the seven Cornell Chi Phi fraternity brothers accused in a damning 101-page Manhattan lawsuit that claims a 20-year-old female student was plied with booze and ketamine after a night out in October 2024 before being raped by multiple men for hours.
The accused frat bros — Kretzschmar, Scott Norris, Johnathan Newell, Matthew Ingalls, Gillio Lopes, Winston Lee and Diego Sarabia — allegedly took turns participating in the attack for hours, with Newell even sending a message in a house group chat announcing there was “free p–sy” to be had, according to the lawsuit.
“You can walk in a whip it out,” someone responded.
Another chat member said, “I f–king love chi phi.’’
Kretzschmar entered the room and participated in pouring lines of ketamine on the woman’s body to snort off her, the suit alleged.
He also texted in the “free p–sy’’ group chat, ”diego went 7 min ago and is not afk sooooo” and “the alumni shit is not a bit. first person pov not a bit.”
The woman reported the alleged attack to Cornell a week later — with the university doing little more than suspending the accused before allowing them to “mitigate their conduct by submitting essays,” her lawsuit said.
The school claimed Monday that some of the young men also were expelled. It refused to say how many, but the accuser’s lawyer told The Post on Monday that two of the fraternity brothers got the boot from school.
Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter was later shuttered.
The men were not charged after a police probe and investigation by the local district attorney’s office.
The woman sued the men and school earlier this month — and the DA just announced he is reopening a criminal probe into the allegations, given what he said were accusations new to his office and contained in her suit.
Kretzschmar’s lawyer disputed the lawsuit in whole — saying it was “not only intentionally dishonest but morally repugnant,” and that he “welcomes any further investigation by the District Attorney who already determined not to bring charges.
“The DA reported that the plaintiff never said she was drugged without her knowledge, admitted to consuming alcohol and drugs voluntarily, and acknowledged she wasn’t forced to engage in any acts,” Saland said, referring to the district attorney’s initial decision not to pursue the case.
“Equally shocking, and knowingly withheld from these young men, the plaintiff did not assert she was helpless, unconscious, or incapacitated at any time in the fraternity house.”
Additional reporting by Zoe Hussain and Peter Senzamici
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).
