Only 7 of 1,200 Cornell Sexual Violence Reports Led to Expulsion
Cornell University received more than 1,200 reports of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking between 2018 and 2024, but only seven of those cases ended with a student being expelled or dismissed, according to a new USA TODAY analysis.
The findings come as the Ivy League school faces mounting pressure over its handling of a 2024 case in which a former student says she was raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity.
What the Numbers Show
Of the more than 1,200 incidents reported to Cornell's Title IX office over the seven-year period, disciplinary charges were filed in 162 cases, according to the analysis. At least 51 people were found responsible through the university's disciplinary process.
Seven of those cases ended in expulsion or dismissal, and 14 ended in suspension. Many others received lighter sanctions such as probation or required training.
That means Cornell expelled or suspended fewer than half of the people its own process found responsible, USA TODAY reported.
Cornell told the outlet that not every report becomes a formal Title IX case, and that some reports do not move forward to a formal investigation.
The Chi Phi Case
The analysis follows a civil lawsuit filed September 16 by a former student who alleges she was assaulted by seven fraternity members at the Chi Phi house in October 2024. She says she was pressured into taking ketamine and drinking alcohol before the assault.
"What happened to me was horrific and deeply disturbing," she said, according to Inside Higher Ed. "Almost two years later, I still carry the weight of its impact every day and night."
She reported the incident to Cornell police in November 2024, but no criminal charges were filed at the time. On September 28, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the criminal investigation and said he would present the case to a grand jury.
Van Houten said her original 2024 statement described her drug use and sexual conduct as voluntary. Her attorney has disputed that characterization, saying the earlier report was not materially different from the lawsuit.
Cornell Defends Its Response
Cornell says it conducted a formal Title IX investigation that included hearings before a panel of trained faculty and staff over multiple days. The university said the panel "issued a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions."
"Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false," Cornell said in a statement. The school has also said the Chi Phi chapter was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus.
Cornell has not said how many of the seven men were expelled, citing federal privacy law. The woman's attorney told CBS News that only two were expelled.
State Leaders Step In
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for an outside review of how Cornell handled the case.
"No student should ever be left wondering whether the institutions meant to protect them will listen and act," Hochul said, according to CBS New York. She called for outside counsel to conduct "a transparent, independent review" of the university's response.
The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James is also reviewing Cornell's response, a spokesperson said. It is not yet clear what action, if any, the office could take.
Growing Pressure on Campus
The case has drawn national attention to how elite universities handle sexual violence. Cornell is one of the most prestigious schools in the country and ranked eighth on LinkedIn's list of top colleges for career success this year.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, condemned what she called a "culture of rape" protected at elite institutions.
A 2025 Cornell survey found that 35% of undergraduate women reported experiencing sexual assault during their time at the university. Cornell's student newspaper has called on the school to share investigation outcomes with complainants and publish clearer standards for lifting suspensions.
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