Cornell bans fraternity parties for the rest of the academic year amid investigation into alleged sexual assault

Key Points:

• Cornell University has suspended all parties and social events at fraternity houses for the remainder of the academic year following allegations of sexual assault by members of the Chi Phi fraternity nearly two years ago.
• The university will hire trauma-informed criminal investigators to review sexual assault allegations on campus as part of efforts to address systemic issues and improve safety.
• A former student, identified as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit accusing multiple parties, including the university, the fraternity, her sorority, and seven former fraternity members, of sexual assault and drugging her in October 2024.
• The case has drawn scrutiny to the handling of the investigation by Cornell University Police and the local district attorney's office, leading New York’s Attorney General Letitia James to oversee the case and former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent review of Cornell’s response to sexual misconduct.
• Cornell’s president expressed regret over the incident and pledged meaningful action, while Jane Doe’s lawyer emphasized that the lawsuit aims to improve the university’s response to abuse claims, though noting the announced steps come too late to protect his client.