A former student is suing a New Jersey-based university, claiming that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by a man who later posted a video of the alleged rape to Snapchat.
According to the Cherry Hill Courier-Post, citing a federal lawsuit, the unidentified woman said she was incapacitated in her dorm room at Stockton University in February 2017 when a 25-year-old male acquaintance, identified as Zachary Madle, allegedly raped her — while taking a video.
The woman claims that she viewed videos of the alleged assault via Snapchat the next morning, according to court filings obtained by the news outlet.
“In two of the videos, (M.R.) was still wearing her bra and panties,” the lawsuit states, “but in the last video (she) was completely naked.”
The lawsuit also states that the student went to police “immediately” following the incident, though authorities didn’t file any charges against the man until April of 2018, according to NJ Advance Media. It is unclear why over a year passed between the report and the subsequent charges, which include invasion of privacy by recording a sex act without consent against the suspect.
The woman, a resident of Brick, New Jersey, filed the 23-count lawsuit in Camden Friday, and is seeking damages from Madle, Stockton University, Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, and other unidentified individuals, according to the Cherry Hill Courier-Post.
The woman’s attorney, Robert Fugi, told the news outlet that he and his client, who is under the age of 21, are shocked that Madle, a 2015 Stockton graduate and former fraternity member, isn’t yet charged with sexual assault — he has been charged only with invasion of privacy by recording a sex act without consen
“I’m hoping they reconsider,” Fuggi told the newspaper, adding that the woman provided DNA evidence and underwent a sexual assault examination. “And the testimony of the victim is very clear,” he continued. “It’s a fairly straightforward case.”
The young woman reportedly said she met the man while attending a frat party where there was heavy drinking, and Madle and another unidentified male accompanied her back to her door room the night of the alleged attack, NJ Advance Media reports.
In a statement to the media outlet, Stockton University said they “referred the matter to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office for representation and investigation of the underlying claims.”
The home where the alleged sexual assault took place “houses an illegitimate chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity,” according to NJ Advance Media, adding that the national fraternity claims there hasn’t been a fraternity operating under that name since 2010.
The alleged victim is seeking damages of psychological and emotional distress, damage to her reputation, and depression, according to the lawsuit.
She is “hopeful that this lawsuit will bring exposure to the lack of security and the systemic problem of sexual assault on this campus,” the plaintiff’s attorney told NJ Advance Media.
“She’s emotionally traumatized. It’s going to take time for her to reclaim her life.”
