Cornell Suspends Fraternity Parties, Brings In State Police on Assault Cases
Cornell University is suspending fraternity parties for the rest of the academic year and handing investigations of campus sex crime reports to New York State Police, as outrage grows over how the school handled a 2024 gang rape allegation.
President Michael Kotlikoff announced the measures Tuesday in a letter to the campus community. Parties and other social events at Interfraternity Council houses are suspended through the end of the 2026-27 academic year, the Associated Press reported.
A "Zero Tolerance" Policy
Under a new "zero tolerance" policy, any chapter that breaks the rules will face an immediate emergency suspension. Kotlikoff said the pause will allow "a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell" to determine whether and how it can continue safely.
In the letter, Kotlikoff also acknowledged a "deeply disturbing prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse" on campus and said the problem is not limited to Greek life, TMZ reported. He apologized for the harm the woman in the 2024 case says she suffered and said the university had fallen short.
State Police Step In
Cornell University Police currently investigate reports of sex crimes on campus. Under the new plan, Cornell will work with New York State Police, whose criminal investigators are trauma-informed and independent of the university, to handle those allegations instead.
The school will also add a case manager to its Office of Civil Rights to help people who report sexual misconduct navigate the process.
Kotlikoff said Cornell will not wait for the results of an independent review before making changes. Last week, the university's trustees named former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to lead that review.
Yates will examine how Cornell investigates reports of sexual assault and harassment, how its disciplinary process works, how campus police respond and how the university oversees fraternities, sororities and other student groups. "It is imperative that Cornell be willing to examine itself with the same rigor we expect of others," Trustee Chair Anne Meinig Smalling said, according to Atlanta News First.
The Case Behind the Outrage
The changes follow a lawsuit filed last month by a woman identified only as Jane Doe. She told campus police in November 2024 that, a few weeks earlier, she had been sexually assaulted by multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity after being pressured into drinking and taking drugs.
Her lawsuit names the university, seven former students, the fraternity and others. It alleges the school failed to adequately punish some of the accused students.
Cornell has said it conducted a comprehensive investigation, barred Chi Phi from campus and imposed discipline that included expulsions and suspensions. Lawyers for two of the former students deny any sexual assault, and court records show some of the accused argued in a Title IX investigation that the sexual activity was consensual. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
No criminal charges have been filed. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten investigated in 2024 and did not bring charges, but he reopened the case after the lawsuit was filed. Gov. Kathy Hochul has since assigned New York Attorney General Letitia James to take over the criminal investigation.
Growing Pressure on Cornell
The university has faced days of criticism and a large protest over its response. A recent analysis found that only seven of more than 1,200 sexual violence reports made to Cornell between 2018 and 2024 ended with a student being expelled or dismissed.
Earlier this month, Kotlikoff promised a "serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life" and admitted "we must do better," according to The Star. "But being part of a group can never diminish individual responsibility," he said.
He also pledged to be more transparent about the 2024 case and said the university would create more opportunities for students and others to ask questions and hear directly from school leaders in the coming weeks.
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