Crimeupdated 2h ago3 min read
Cornell Suspends Fraternity Parties, Gives New York State Police Role After Jane Doe Lawsuit
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Cornell suspends all fraternity parties for the rest of the academic year. New York State Police will join investigations of campus sex crimes.
15 outlets told this the same way.
Cornell bans frat parties
Cornell University suspended fraternity parties for the academic year and announced it would give the New York State Police a role in investigating sex crimes on campus after a former student known as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit last month alleging she was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024. Cornell President Michael I Kotlikoff said, “These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue,” and he added a “zero-tolerance” policy for violations that would trigger an immediate freeze for any fraternity chapter that breaks the ban.
Cornell also said it would transfer investigative authority from the university police to independent, trauma-informed investigators with the New York State Police, while Kotlikoff pledged to strengthen Cornell’s sexual misconduct response by adding a dedicated case manager to the Office of Civil Rights. Jane Doe’s lawsuit accused the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell University and seven of its members of drugging and gang raping her during a party on the night of October 19, 2024, and Cornell previously shut down the fraternity and temporarily suspended the accused male students, two of whom were later expelled.
Investigators and legal fallout
Cornell said it would allow New York State Police’s trauma-informed officers to investigate allegations of sexual assault on its campus, and Kotlikoff said the officers would prepare “comprehensive investigative summaries for the appropriate law enforcement agency”.
Thomas Giuffra, a lawyer representing Doe, said the civil lawsuit was filed “to achieve her aim of improving Cornell and its response to abuse claims,” and he added, “While the steps announced today are helpful to achieve this goal, they are too late to protect Ms. Doe.”
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said 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, after US media outlets obtained hundreds of documents from Cornell’s investigation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Letitia James to investigate the case, and Cornell said it would bring in national sexual violence prevention experts to examine “the factors leading to campus sexual violence and strategies to promote responsible sexual citizenship”.
Campus culture and next steps
Cornell said it would confront a campus culture of excessive drinking and drug use, and Kotlikoff said the university must also expand education about students’ responsibility to intervene when others are at risk. Kotlikoff said, “We will take all necessary steps to address the conditions that led to Jane Doe’s experiences, and those of other survivors,” and he described the actions announced Tuesday as “first steps toward systemic change on our campus”.
The university also said it planned to add victim advocates and expand sexual violence prevention programmes, including education aimed at encouraging bystanders to intervene, as it sought to reassure the campus community amid outrage over its handling of allegations. The Hill reported that Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said, “There is an issue, post-Covid, of what are the options for students in a town like Ithaca,” as Cornell said it would invest in “safe social alternatives” for students while it imposed the fraternity party suspension through the end of the academic year.