Cornell bans frat parties after gang rape allegations

‘It is clear that women on our campus continue to question whether they are safe,’ the university president said in a statement

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Cornell University has banned fraternity parties and enlisted sexual assault investigators after gang rape allegations drew national attention to the Ivy League school.

“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,” Kotlikoff wrote. “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.”

The president said he had spent weeks listening to concerns of students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni. Protests have erupted on campus with demonstrators accusing the university of failing to act sufficiently.

“There will be zero tolerance for violations of this directive,” Kotlikoff wrote. “Any fraternity holding an in-house party or social event will receive an immediate emergency suspension.”

Survivors of sexual assault will also receive stronger support with additional staff added to the Cornell Office of Civil Rights. New York State Police criminal investigators will also be brought in to investigate campus allegations.

The New York college will expand bystander-intervention education, work with community safety organizations and draw on faculty members with expertise in rape culture.

After Cornell's Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit last month, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten — who initially declined to pursue charges over the alleged rape — reopened the investigation.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul subsequently reassigned the case to state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. It has been described as an “active criminal investigation.”

After police were contacted in 2024, Cornell opened its own investigation, which involved numerous hearings and resulted in suspensions and expulsions for some students involved in the case. The Chi Phi fraternity was also shut down.

“Any suggestion that the University did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false,” the university said in an earlier statement. “A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault.”