ITHACA, N.Y. (Michigan News Source) – A Michigan high school graduate is among seven former Cornell University fraternity members accused in an explosive sexual-assault lawsuit that has now triggered a new criminal investigation – and a state takeover of the case.
According to a report in the Detroit News, Scott Kretzschmar, a 2022 graduate and former class president of Marine City High School in St. Clair County, is one of seven men named in a civil lawsuit filed Sept. 16 by a former Cornell student identified as Jane Doe.
Allegations Date Back to 2024
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Doe alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted over several hours at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.
No criminal charges were filed following the original investigation. Cornell, however, conducted its own disciplinary proceedings. The university told CBS News that two men were expelled, two were suspended for at least two semesters, one had already graduated and two were found not responsible for sexual misconduct.
The lawsuit alleges Kretzschmar participated in a crude fraternity Snapchat conversation and accuses him of pouring ketamine on Doe and snorting it. His attorney, Jeremy Saland, strongly denies the allegations, saying Kretzschmar briefly entered the room but never touched Doe. Saland also says a hair-follicle test showed no ketamine in his client’s system.
Case Gets a Major Reset
The case has changed dramatically in recent days.
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten released a statement on September 28 saying, “Jane Doe’s sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped. On the contrary, Jane Doe’s statement described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual. My office obviously did not and could not have based our November 2024 decision on the allegations in a civil lawsuit that would not be filed until nearly two years later.”
The statement continued, “Furthermore, I have never been contacted by Jane Doe’s attorneys. Not to inform me the original statement was inaccurate and not to ask me to reconsider our decision. Rather, I reached out to Jane Doe’s attorneys after the lawsuit was filed to understand the discrepancy between the original statement and the lawsuit’s allegations and the proper path forward in light of the lawsuit’s allegations.”
New Allegations Tell a Different Story
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Those new allegations in Doe’s civil lawsuit differ significantly from the sworn statement she gave investigators in November 2024 which are described in the statement above. The civil lawsuit, filed nearly two years later, instead alleges she was drugged against her will and sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members.
In light of the new allegations and renewed scrutiny of the 2024 case, Van Houten reopened the criminal investigation Sept. 28. But New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has since removed the case from the local prosecutor and appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.
James now calls it an “active criminal investigation” and says her office will gather evidence, interview witnesses and pursue charges if warranted. As of Saturday, none of the seven men – including Kretzschmar – has been criminally charged. The civil allegations remain allegations, and Kretzschmar denies wrongdoing.
