Cornell University bans fraternity parties after gang rape lawsuit

Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff announced on Tuesday an immediate suspension of all Interfraternity Council parties and social events through the remainder of the 2026-2027 academic year, citing the need to address a campus culture of sexual violence highlighted by a recent gang rape lawsuit. In a statement released to the campus community, Kotlikoff said, "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," warning that university officials would enforce a "zero tolerance" policy against violations. The ban affects nearly one-third of Cornell students who participate in Greek life at the Ivy League institution.

Post-pandemic social shifts

Kotlikoff noted that fraternity parties had become increasingly central to student social life since the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered many bars and venues in Ithaca — the small upstate New York town located roughly 220 miles northwest of New York City where the university is based. "There is an issue, post-Covid, of what are the options for students in a town like Ithaca," he said, adding that "many, many bars and venues went out of business and did not come back," diverting drinking activities to on-campus Greek houses. University officials aim to change the overall "social culture at Cornell" while determining whether fraternity life can safely continue, Kotlikoff stated, acknowledging problems extend beyond the Greek system to include a "deeply disturbing prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse."

Legal response

Thomas Giuffra, the attorney representing the student identified as Jane Doe in the civil lawsuit against seven Chi Phi fraternity members, said his client welcomed the university's actions but emphasized they came too late to protect her. "While the steps announced today are helpful to achieve this goal, they are too late to protect Ms. Doe," Giuffra told the New York Post, adding that "however, these steps will hopefully go a long way to help ensure that there are no more Jane Does." Giuffra noted that Doe filed the lawsuit not solely for personal redress but to improve Cornell's response to abuse claims across the campus.

State investigation

The lawsuit alleges Doe was coerced into consuming ketamine and alcohol before a consensual encounter with two fraternity members devolved into a drug-fueled non-consensual gang rape involving seven men total. Cornell officials acknowledged that only two of the accused students have been expelled and none initially faced criminal charges, prompting Kotlikoff to announce that campus police would hire "experienced, trauma-informed criminal investigators, who are independent of Cornell University" to prepare comprehensive investigative summaries for law enforcement. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has recused the local district attorney from the reopened case and appointed state Attorney General Letitia James to lead the investigation.