Cornell University banned all parties and social events at its fraternity houses for the rest of the academic year and will allow New York State Police to investigate sexual assault allegations on campus, the school announced Tuesday. The Cornell fraternity party ban follows a lawsuit filed by a woman identified as Jane Doe, who alleges she was sexually assaulted at a Cornell fraternity house in 2024.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff announced the measures in a statement Tuesday. “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 said. “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.”
What Cornell Announced
Beyond the party ban, Cornell said it will bring in experienced, trauma-informed criminal investigators to review campus sexual assault allegations. New York State Police officers will interview survivors who want to pursue criminal charges and prepare investigative summaries for law enforcement, according to the university.
Cornell also said it will add staff to its Office of Civil Rights and bring in national sexual violence prevention experts to study the factors behind campus sexual violence and develop strategies around what the university called responsible sexual citizenship. Kotlikoff said any student who violates the new fraternity party policy will be suspended.
The university separately appointed Sally Yates, a former acting U.S. Attorney General, to conduct an independent review of how Cornell handles sexual harassment, assault and misconduct complaints. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the case, according to the university’s announcement.
What It Means For Students And Fraternities
The ban applies to every fraternity house on campus and covers the remainder of the current academic year, not just the chapter named in the lawsuit. For students, it means no sanctioned parties or social gatherings at fraternity houses until the policy is lifted or the academic year ends.
The move gives outside law enforcement, rather than only campus or local prosecutors, a direct path into future assault complaints. State officials have criticized Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten for not bringing charges or personally interviewing victims and witnesses in Jane Doe’s case, according to reports. Van Houten’s office received only a six-page signed statement and Snapchat messages from the night of the alleged assault, according to the DA, as reported by the BBC.
Background On The Lawsuit
Jane Doe, a sophomore who was 20 at the time, filed a civil lawsuit last month alleging she was given drugs and raped by several men on Oct. 19-20, 2024, at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house. The suit names Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity, her sorority Tri Delta and seven former Chi Phi members as defendants.
Cornell’s Title IX investigation found one man responsible for sexual assault, and he was expelled, according to Jane Doe’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, and the New York Times. The Chi Phi chapter was shut down in 2024. Jane Doe told investigators the encounter began consensually with two men before she says she was pressured into taking ketamine and other men joined without her consent.
Giuffra responded to Cornell’s announcement by saying the measures came too late for his client. “While the steps announced today are helpful to achieve this goal, they are too late to protect Ms. Doe,” Giuffra said. “However, these steps will hopefully go a long way to help ensure that there are no more Jane Does.”
What’s Next
Cornell has not announced a timeline for when the new investigative and staffing measures take effect. James’s state investigation and Yates’s independent review of Cornell’s handling of assault complaints remain ongoing, according to the university’s statement. Readers can follow continuing coverage of the Cornell allegations case and background on the 2024 Cornell rape allegations as the case develops.
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