Cornell University has moved to suspend all fraternity parties for the remainder of the academic year and will bolster its police force with trained sexual assault investigators, a direct response to the fallout from a lawsuit alleging a gang rape at the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024.
President Michael Kotlikoff announced the measures in a campus-wide message, warning that any fraternity violating the party ban will face immediate emergency suspension. The university is also committing to fund what it calls "safe social alternatives" for students, acknowledging that the local social scene in Ithaca has struggled to recover from the pandemic.
"There is an issue, post-Covid, of what are the options for students in a town like Ithaca," Kotlikoff told The New York Times. "Many, many bars and venues went out of business and did not come back."
Beyond the party ban, Cornell is appointing a dedicated case manager to guide survivors of sexual misconduct through the reporting process and is adding staff to its Office of Civil Rights. The university also plans to accelerate recommendations from its Presidential Task Force on Sexual Assault and enhance bystander intervention training.
"Research has shown that campus sexual assault is not limited to the fraternity system," Kotlikoff wrote. "At its core is the specific context of social behavior and a deeply disturbing prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse. While this is not a problem unique to Cornell, we are committed to setting a higher standard for education, oversight, and enforcement of safe social behavior and citizenship."
The moves come after the university hired outside counsel to review its handling of Jane Doe's allegations. Doe says she was coerced into using drugs and alcohol at Chi Phi in October 2024 and then raped by multiple members over the course of the night. The district attorney declined to prosecute after Cornell police submitted a condensed statement that omitted her assertion that she was "certain" she was raped.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has opened her own investigation into the matter, a development that has drawn political scrutiny and questions about bias. Meanwhile, the defense has sought to gag Jane Doe's attorney, adding another layer of legal wrangling.
Cornell has also tapped former acting attorney general Sally Yates to conduct an independent review of its sexual misconduct policies. The university's actions mirror broader concerns at other institutions, such as the recent halt of fraternity events at the University of Arizona amid similar reports.
Kotlikoff concluded his message with a pledge: "We will take all necessary steps to address the conditions that led to Jane Doe's experiences, and those of other survivors. Cornell must be a place where safety is not an open question. I am committed to doing that work, and to seeing it through. It will take all of us working together, however, to build a Cornell culture of community, trust, and respect."
