Cornell Suspends All Fraternity Parties for Academic Year After 2024 Assault Allegations

Cornell University suspended all parties and social events at Interfraternity Council houses for the remainder of the 2026-27 academic year. President Michael Kotlikoff announced the measures on 13 October 2026 in response to criticism of the university’s handling of a 2024 sexual assault allegation. Any chapter that violates the ban faces immediate emergency suspension.

The policy follows a civil lawsuit filed in September by a former student identified as Jane Doe. She alleges that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity after attending a party at the house on 19 October 2024. The lawsuit names the fraternity and seven members. Cornell police investigated the allegations and presented findings to the Tompkins County district attorney, who declined to prosecute. Critics have said the university shared only limited materials with prosecutors, including a six-page statement and Snapchat messages.

Kotlikoff said he was deeply sorry for the harm Jane Doe suffered and appalled that the alleged act occurred within the Cornell community. The suspension provides time for a thorough review of fraternity life to determine whether and how it can continue safely. The university will add a case manager to the Office of Civil Rights to assist people who report sexual misconduct. It will also work with the New York State Police so that independent criminal investigators can examine allegations. Former acting US Attorney General Sally Yates is leading a separate independent review of Cornell’s response to sexual harassment and assault.

Roughly one-third of Cornell students participate in Greek life. The Interfraternity Council had already voted to cancel events for one weekend earlier in October. The Ithaca Common Council approved a temporary moratorium on student event permits. Kotlikoff said the university will engage students and faculty experts to develop safe social alternatives and will invest resources in those alternatives. A zero-tolerance approach applies to the new ban.

The case has drawn national attention to how universities document and share evidence in sexual assault investigations. Hundreds of pages of Cornell investigative records have been obtained by media outlets. Those records show varying disciplinary outcomes for the seven student defendants. The university has updated its public statements about what materials were provided to the district attorney in 2024. No criminal charges have resulted from the original investigation.

The measures do not affect sororities or other student organizations. They apply only to Interfraternity Council houses. Cornell has not announced a timeline for lifting the ban or for completing the Yates review. Campus protests calling for justice for survivors have continued. The university said it will take all necessary steps to address conditions that led to Jane Doe’s experience and those of other survivors.

The suspension removes a major social venue for fraternity members through the end of the academic year. It also shifts part of the investigative process outside the university’s own police force. Further details on the independent review and any additional policy changes are expected in the coming months.