Cornell University has decided to halt all fraternity parties and gatherings for the remainder of the 2026-27 academic year, according to an announcement made by President Michael Kotlikoff on Tuesday. This action comes in response to allegations of a gang rape at one of the university’s fraternity houses, which has spurred demands for accountability.
President Kotlikoff, who has been under pressure to step down due to the incident, emphasized a “zero tolerance” approach towards any breaches of the new policy. He stated that any fraternity hosting an internal party or social function would face immediate emergency suspension.
The university is implementing a series of initiatives, as outlined by Kotlikoff, to enhance campus safety, provide better support for survivors, and address the broader societal factors contributing to sexual violence at Cornell.
The case, which involves a woman identified as Jane Doe in legal documents, accuses seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell of raping her at their house in October 2024 while she was incapacitated. This development has sparked widespread protests on the university campus in Ithaca, New York, calling for justice and an end to sexual violence.
Recently, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Letitia James, the state’s attorney general, as a special prosecutor to investigate the case. Additionally, Cornell announced the appointment of Sally Yates, a former U.S. deputy attorney general, to review the school’s protocols for preventing and responding to sexual harassment and assault on campus, including an evaluation of the university’s handling of the allegations made by Doe.
In response to the situation, President Kotlikoff disclosed that the university would assign a dedicated case manager to assist individuals reporting sexual misconduct in navigating housing and academic accommodation processes. Furthermore, Cornell will permit criminal investigators from the New York State Police, who operate independently of the university, to probe allegations of sexual assault on the campus. Typically, campus police, who are under the university’s control and possess full law enforcement authority, investigate reported crimes at Cornell.
