According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal says she was a college student at Syracuse University in 1991 when she met Diddy. She says he took her on a date that quickly turned into a nightmare.

In her suit, the woman claims Diddy took her out for chicken and waffles in January 1991 at the Harlem restaurant where she worked, then drove her over to a recording studio.

The woman claims her legs felt rubbery and she couldn't stand when she tried getting out of Diddy's car ... leading her to believe Diddy drugged her at some point during their meal.

In the suit, the woman claims after leaving the music studio that same evening Diddy drove her to a house, where she says he sexually assaulted her and secretly recorded it.

She's suing Diddy under New York's Adult Survivors Act, a law providing alleged victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file a civil lawsuit, even if the statute of limitations is up. Thursday marks the deadline to file such lawsuits, and that's when this suit was filed.

A spokesperson for Diddy tells TMZ ... "This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head. Ms. Dickerson's 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more."

The woman also accuses Diddy of showing the secretly recorded tape to scores of people ... claiming a musician once told her Diddy had shown the tape to "everyone."

The woman claims she fell into a "tailspin" after the alleged assault ... dropping out of Syracuse and being diagnosed with clinical depression.