Cornell bans fraternity parties for 2026-2027 year after assault suit

Cornell University has suspended all parties and social events in Interfraternity Council houses for the remainder of the 2026-2027 academic year, a decision announced by President Michael Kotlikoff in response to a lawsuit alleging sexual assault at the Chi Phi house. The student plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe in court filings, claims she was sexually assaulted by seven men at the residence in 2024.

In a message to the campus community, Kotlikoff stated that the suspension allows time for a thorough review of fraternity life to determine if and how it can safely continue. He pledged that the university would provide "better support for survivors" and maintained a policy of zero tolerance for violations, warning that any fraternity holding an event during the ban would face immediate suspension. The administration is also exploring safe social alternatives for students.

The legal dispute follows allegations raised last month that led New York Governor Kathy Hochul to designate the state attorney general's office as a special prosecutor for the investigation. Cornell separately retained former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct its own review of the incident. While the university disciplined some of the men named in the lawsuit, none have faced criminal charges to date.

The alleged assault occurred overnight from October 19 to October 20, 2024. Doe reported the incident to university police on November 8, 2024. Following the report, the school suspended the fraternity and opened an internal investigation. However, Tompkins County prosecutors declined to file charges based on a six-page sworn statement signed by Doe. District Attorney Matt Van Houten noted in a statement posted to his website that this document provided a different narrative regarding the legal definition of lack of consent than the allegations later presented in the lawsuit. He stated that Doe made more than 20 handwritten notations in the document and that his view of the case changed when confronted with reports of more explicit allegations in her police interview.

At least two of the accused men have asked courts to recuse New York Attorney General Letitia James from the case. Their argument is that James tweeted support for the victim before her office was designated as special prosecutor.