Cornell University has suspended all parties and social events at fraternity houses for the remainder of the academic year.
The ban follows intense criticism of how the Ivy League school handled a student’s allegation that she was gang-raped at a fraternity in 2024.
University President Michael Kotlikoff announced the measure on Tuesday in a letter to the campus community .
The ban will remain in place while Cornell reviews whether fraternity life can safely continue at the Ithaca, New York, campus.
Any fraternity that holds an in-house party or social event will face immediate emergency suspension, Kotlikoff said .
The announcement came nearly a week after the city of Ithaca voted to place a moratorium on event and noise permits for university-affiliated events .
Cornell is one of eight Ivy League universities in the United States. About one-third of its students participate in Greek life .
Lawsuit Alleges 2024 Gang Rape at Chi Phi House
The case centres on allegations from a former student identified in court documents as Jane Doe.
She says she was 20 years old when seven men at the Chi Phi fraternity house sexually assaulted her in October 2024 after giving her alcohol and ketamine.
Doe filed a civil lawsuit last month against Cornell, seven current and former students, and several fraternity organisations.
She alleges the university failed to protect her and did not adequately punish the men involved. She dropped out of Cornell after the alleged assault .
Cornell’s Title IX investigation resulted in two expulsions and lesser sanctions for the others, according to Doe’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra. He said some of the men were required to write essays .
Giuffra said the steps Cornell announced are helpful but came too late to protect Doe. He said she filed the lawsuit to achieve her aim of improving Cornell and its response to abuse claims .
New Measures Include State Police Investigators and Survivor Support
Kotlikoff also outlined other steps. Cornell will allow trauma-informed investigators from the New York State Police to investigate sexual assault allegations on campus .
These officers will interview survivors who wish to pursue criminal charges and prepare investigative summaries for the appropriate law enforcement agency.
The university will add staff to its civil rights office, including a dedicated case manager to help survivors report misconduct and navigate support services .
Cornell has also retained former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent review of how the school prevents and responds to sexual misconduct .
Kotlikoff said the university would act now rather than wait for Yates’s findings, because it is clear that we cannot wait for the review to conclude .
Criminal Investigation Reopened as Pressure Mounts
The Tompkins County District Attorney’s office initially declined to bring charges in 2024. District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said his office received only a six-page statement and Snapchat messages from Cornell’s investigation .
State officials criticised Van Houten for not personally interviewing victims or witnesses. New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the case .
The criminal investigation has since been reopened. No one named in the lawsuit has been criminally charged, and all the men have denied wrongdoing .
Hundreds of students protested on campus this month, demanding greater accountability. Cornell’s faculty senate is considering a vote of no confidence in the administration .
