Cornell bans all fraternity parties over gang sex assault allegations

Key points

• Cornell University has banned all parties at fraternity houses for the rest of the school year after a lawsuit alleging a 2024 gang rape at a fraternity party.
• Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff apologized to the accuser, known as Jane Doe, and announced measures including more support staff and state police investigators.
• The case has drawn criticism over Cornell's sharing of information with the local district attorney, who did not bring charges, and New York's attorney general is now investigating.

Cornell University is banning all parties at fraternity houses for the rest of the school year, the school announced Tuesday, as it faces backlash over its handling of an alleged sexual assault on campus two years ago.

Last month, a woman known as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit alleging she was plied with drugs and raped by several men in 2024 at a party at a Cornell fraternity house.

What officials said

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said in a statement that he was deeply sorry for the harm Jane Doe suffered in 2024 and appalled that the act occurred within the Cornell community. He added that women on campus continue to question whether they are safe and that the school must acknowledge where it has fallen short.

Kotlikoff said anyone who violated the new fraternity party policy would be suspended. He also said Cornell would bring in national sexual violence prevention experts to examine the factors leading to campus sexual violence and strategies to promote responsible sexual citizenship, calling the steps the first toward systematic change.

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

— Michael Kotlikoff

Support and investigation

The school said it planned to improve support for survivors of sexual assault, including more staff to help people report sexual misconduct and navigate other support systems. Through Title IX, the federal law governing how universities handle sexual assault claims, schools are required to provide measures to help survivors stay in school after assaults. Doe's lawyer has said she dropped out after the alleged assault.

Cornell will allow New York State Police's trauma-informed officers to investigate allegations of sexual assault on its campus. These officers will interview survivors who want to pursue criminal charges and prepare comprehensive investigative summaries for the appropriate law enforcement agency, Kotlikoff said.

Criticism and state inquiry

Cornell has faced criticism over the information shared with the local district attorney's office about Jane Doe's allegations. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said that in 2024, his office received only a six-page statement signed by the victim and Snapchat messages in which the men at the fraternity party advertised a free sexual encounter with Doe, out of hundreds of documents obtained by US media outlets from Cornell's investigation.

State officials have also criticized Van Houten's decision not to bring charges or interview victims and witnesses himself. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed the state's attorney general, Letitia James, to investigate the case.