Cornell University has suspended parties and social events at Interfraternity Council houses for the rest of the 2026-2027 academic year, President Michael Kotlikoff said in a message to the campus community Tuesday.
Kotlikoff said the pause would allow the university to review fraternity life and consider whether it can continue safely. He also said Cornell would pursue safer social alternatives and would immediately suspend any fraternity found violating the ban.
The decision follows a lawsuit filed by a student identified in court documents as Jane Doe, who alleges she was sexually assaulted by seven men at the Chi Phi house in October 2024. The allegations are disputed and have not led to criminal charges, the source report said.
Cornell previously suspended the fraternity and conducted an investigation. The report said the Tompkins County district attorney declined to bring charges, citing differences between Doe’s sworn written statement and allegations described in a police interview. The district attorney said the written statement presented a different account of events, particularly concerning consent.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed the state attorney general’s office as special prosecutor to investigate the claims, and Cornell retained former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent review. The report also said some men named in the lawsuit have sought to have Attorney General Letitia James recused, pointing to a public post supporting the accuser before her office received the special-prosecutor assignment.
Cornell said it would enforce the suspension with zero tolerance for violations. The university’s review and the legal proceedings remain ongoing.
