Court restores section of lawsuit against SU for possible retaliation in Chase Scanlan domestic violence case

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A federal appeals court has restored part of a lawsuit against Syracuse University for violating Title IX in its handling of a domestic abuse case involving former SU men’s lacrosse player Chase Scanlan, syracuse.com reported Monday morning.

The plaintiff, also a lacrosse player at SU referred to as Jane Doe, filed the lawsuit in August 2021 after Scanlan allegedly abused her during their relationship. In the lawsuit, the woman alleges SU treated her with “deliberate indifference” and did not fulfill its obligations under the law in its handling of the case.

Scanlan was arrested on domestic violence charges on May 7, 2021. He later agreed to a deal that would drop charges if he stayed out of trouble for a year after taking domestic violence prevention classes.

In the lawsuit, the woman claims a coach encouraged her to transfer schools and a deputy athletics director retaliated against her when discussing her transfer after she reported the abuse. Although the case was dismissed last year by U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe when he said the plaintiff was fully informed of her rights and did not face adverse action, a three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that she could proceed with claims of retaliation last month.

“It is plausible that these threats were made in retaliation for her sexual assault reporting or anticipated pursuit of legal action against SU,” the judges wrote.

The appeals court supported Sharpe’s dismissal of deliberate indifference and hostile environment.