A woman has filed a lawsuit against Syracuse University over its handling of an alleged assault by former SU men's lacrosse player Chase Scanlan. The lawsuit brought against the university also includes former men's lacrosse Coach John Desko and Athletic Director John Wildhack.
Scanlan was arrested and charged with criminal mischief and second-degree harassment back in May, to which he pleaded not guilty.
In this lawsuit, the plaintiff claims that she suffered extended periods of sexual harassment, which culminated in a jealous attack during which Scanlan "smashed her cell phone and squeezed the breath from her lungs to the point where she feared for her life."
The plaintiff also says that when the university's Department of Public Safety arrived on the scene, they subjected her to hostile and problematic questioning and showed a blatant disregard for her safety, and despite Scanlan admitting to crimes of domestic violence, DPS made no arrests.
Syracuse University released a statement saying in part, "The university takes very seriously every report of sexual harassment and assault that it receives. While we do not comment on pending litigation, we are confident in the university’s strong structure and robust processes for addressing all reports of sexual harassment and assault brought to our attention, all of which are compliant with and guided by federal and state law."