‘Cornell 7’ case: Scott Kretzschmar's ketamine charge forces big move from lawyer; shock Chi Phi Snapchat texts surface

Scott Kretzschmar is one of the seven Cornell University students named in the lawsuit alleging gang rape in the Chi Phi fraternity house. The case was filed by one Jane Doe in 2024 and has been reopened, with the details causing much shock.

Cornell University released a statement as the lawsuit alleging gang rape by frat members of the university has been reopened. (X/@Cornell)While the complaint accused all seven of sexual assault and rape, and brings a battery claim against them, Kretzschmar has been specifically accused of pouring ketamine on the accuser's body and then snorting it.

Now, his lawyer has clarified this specific allegation even as shocking Snapchat messages of the Chi Phi fraternity has surfaced.

Jeremy Saland, who represents Scott Kretzschmar spoke out about the ketamine allegations leveled against his client.

He said that there was no ketamine in Kretzschmar's system, despite the allegation in the lawsuit. Speaking to CBS News New York, Saland said “what you need to do is look at the demonstrable, objective evidence, which is a hair follicle test showing no, he had no ketamine in his system”.

Kretzschmar's lawyer added that he had been in the room for only a few minutes with the victim, and that she was not undressed at this time. “He didn't see her under duress. She wasn't having a hard time articulating any things,” the lawyer said.

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Jane Doe's case is being reopened as the DA said that there were discrepancies between the original statement and allegations made in the lawsuit.

“Jane Doe's sworn statement in November of 2024 did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped,” the Tompkins County DA said. He said that she ‘described her participation in drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary, conscious, and consensual.’

Thomas Giuffra, who represents the woman, meanwhile, said that investigators failed to follow up on evidence, including the frat group chat. This has shifted focus to the shocking Chi Phi Snapchat messages which surfaced online.

A photo of the alleged Snapchat messages was shared by New York Post. It appeared to show conversations from the time of the alleged gang rape. Messages like ‘…you can walk in and whip it out’ were visible in the screenshot which was widely shared on social media as well.

CBS News New York also reported additional messages from the Snapchat group that they had obtained from the night of the alleged drugging and gang rape.

A message was sent on the group chat at 1:42am, on the date of the alleged rape, suggesting a woman was available for sex. "Shop still open?" one fraternity member had written to which the reply was "Yea."

Cornell University, in a statement, said “Cornell University supports the decision of the Tompkins County District Attorney to provide an opportunity for the victim’s story in the 2024 Chi Phi fraternity sexual assault case to be heard by a criminal grand jury.”

Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More