Trusted Local News

Local News to Your Inbox
Enter your email address below

Stockton University grad allegedly raped two students, lawsuits claim

  • News

A Stockton University graduate raped two students and used a defunct fraternity to host parties to take advantage of women, according to separate lawsuits filed against the Wildwood man.
Zachary Madle, 25, allegedly posted one of the assaults on Snapchat, after the plaintiff claims he spiked her drink.
Stockton and Pi Kappa Phi — which the school has not recognized since 2010 — are also named in both suits.
“There’s underage drinking on every college campus and, unfortunately, sexual assault,” said Robert Fuggi, the Toms River attorney who is representing both women. “But it just seemed grossly mismanaged and out of hand on the Stockton campus.”
“The university has been served, and we have referred the matter to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office for representation and investigation of the underlying claims," spokeswoman Diane D'Amico said. "We are not permitted to comment on the litigation at this time, but we look forward to issuing a statement when we are permitted to do so.”
Fuggi said fraternities like Pi Kappa Phi, “was just a place that preyed upon these young freshmen women coming in.”
Pi Kappa is listed as an "unrecognized group" by the university.
“Pi Kappa Phi closed its chapter at Stockton University in May 2010,” fraternity CEO Mark Timmes told the Trentonian via email, it reported . “At that time, all student members were directed to cease and desist any activities in the name of Pi Kappa Phi. The defendants named in this lawsuit are not members of Pi Kappa Phi. The fraternity does not have any further comment on the pending litigation.”
Pi Kappa had a house in Egg Harbor City, about 10 minutes from Stockton’s Galloway Township campus.
Madle allegedly used parties there where only women were invited to prey on women.
The first lawsuit involves M.R. a first-year student who was majoring in criminal justice with dreams of becoming a detective, according to the suit.
She met Madle at a Pi Kappa party Feb. 9. He and a friend stayed at the woman’s dorm room that night, but she did not know there had been sex until her friend told her Madle had had sex with her while she was incapacitated.
On Valentine’s Day, Madle showed up at the woman’s dorm after the two had been texting all day. Madle — who was working as a bartender at the Flow House — brought Stoli vodka and mixers, but M.R. refused, having about three cups of wine, according to the suit.
The suit alleges that when M.R. left to go to the bathroom, Madle spiked her drink.
She blacked out and “woke up naked, confused, choking and covered in vomit.”
She later found three Snapchat stories showing the alleged sex assault, including one in which she was naked.
She reported the incident to Stockton police and learned during an examination that she had contracted gonorrhea from Madle, the suit states.
Stockton did not investigate the matter, the suit alleges.
K.S. also was a first-year Stockton student when she met Madle at a Pi Kappa party Oct. 20, 2017, when he tried to force himself on her and the two eventually started to have consensual sex, according to her suit, filed last week.
But, during the incident, Madle became physically abusive, and “began to hit, bit and choke” K.S., and would not stop despite her demands, the suit claims.
She blacked out during the assault, the suit says.
That Nov. 9, K.S. attended another party, but avoided Madle until he approached her. She walked away but then saw him coming on to her friend, J.D., the suit claims.
She followed them into the same room where her alleged assault occurred, and told him, “She’s drunk, leave her alone!”
He later pulled K.S. into a bathroom and raped her, according to the suit.
Fuggi told BreakingAC he expects more suits will come, and has been receiving calls from other potential victims as a result of M.R. and K.S. coming forward.
"It just seems like there's an environment there," he said.
"I'm hoping (Stockton) will address this before school starts in the fall," he added. "Not only for those who have been victims, but to let those coming in know this is not going to happen to them."

author

Lynda Cohen

Lynda Cohen founded BreakingAC after working as a local newspaper reporter for more than two decades. She is an NJPA award-winner and was a Stories of Atlantic City fellow.

Friday, April 19, 2024
STEWARTVILLE
Local News to Your inbox
Enter your email address below
Real Estate Widget Fragment

E-Editions

Events

April

S M T W T F S
31 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 1 2 3 4

To Submit an Event Sign in first

Today's Events

No calendar events have been scheduled for today.