Cornell University suspended all fraternity parties for the remainder of the academic year and invited New York State Police investigators to examine campus sex crimes, following intense public outcry over the handling of a 2024 gang rape allegation involving a student identified as Jane Doe.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff Orders Campus Restrictions
The directives include an immediate suspension of all parties and social events at houses affiliated with the Interfraternity Council through the end of the 2026-27 academic year.
The council represents more than 20 active fraternities on the Ithaca, New York campus.
Under the university’s new rules, any chapter that hosts an unauthorized in-house party or social gathering faces an immediate emergency suspension.
“These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue.”
Michael Kotlikoff, Cornell University President
Former Student Files Lawsuit over Fraternity Sexual Assault
The institutional crackdown follows a civil lawsuit filed in September by a former student who alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024.
The plaintiff stated she was pressured to use drugs while incapacitated and that descriptive messages circulated on Snapchat without her knowledge.
In the wake of public anger over local authorities initially declining to file criminal charges, New York’s governor removed the Tompkins County district attorney from the case this month.
An investigation by the New York attorney general is ongoing.
Title IX is the federal statute regulating how colleges address sexual misconduct allegations, mandating that institutions offer supportive resources to enable victims to persist in their education following an attack, though legal counsel for Doe has pointed out that she left the school subsequent to the incident.
Speaking to the New York Times in an article released on Tuesday, President Kotlikoff mentioned that he became aware of Jane Doe’s departure only after her legal action regarding the attack was initiated last month.
“I am deeply sorry for the harm Jane Doe suffered in 2024, and appalled that this act of sexual violence occurred within our Cornell community. It is clear that women on our campus continue to question whether they are safe. We must meet this moment by acknowledging where we have fallen short and taking meaningful action.”
Michael Kotlikoff, Cornell University President
None of the seven men named in the lawsuit have been criminally charged, and all have denied wrongdoing.
University Overhauls Criminal Allegations Handling
The university is also changing how criminal allegations are handled on campus.
While Cornell campus police traditionally manage investigations as a department that operates independently from municipal police in Ithaca while possessing full law enforcement powers under university control, the administration is bringing in New York State Police criminal investigators who operate independently of Cornell.
Students Protest University Response to Assault Allegations
Hundreds of students previously staged protests on the Ithaca campus, carrying signs accusing the university of betraying survivors and failing to issue adequate punishments.
While university officials maintained that previous internal disciplinary actions resulted in student suspensions, expulsions, and the closure of the Chi Phi chapter, survivor advocates and legal representatives argue the measures came too late.
Thomas Giuffra, a lawyer representing Jane Doe, stated that while the newly announced protocols are helpful, they are too late to protect Ms Doe.