Public allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use by a coterie of John Jay College of Criminal Justice faculty that first surfaced in 2018 have become the subject of a federal lawsuit filed by two former students who claim the school failed to properly handle their claims of sexual assault and harassment at the hands of a number of faculty members.

The complaint, filed on behalf of two women, alleged they had been coaxed into participating in what the faculty members called “The Swamp:” an alleged social circle of drug use and sexual misconduct among a clique of professors on campus. According to the complaint, students were introduced to The Swamp by professors who encouraged them to partake in the use and abuse of drugs in a secluded area for faculty while subjecting them to overtly sexist and misogynistic language.