Cornell University suspended all parties and social events at Interfraternity Council fraternity houses on Tuesday for the remainder of the 2026-27 academic year. University President Michael Kotlikoff announced the suspension alongside a new "zero tolerance" policy that will trigger immediate suspensions for chapters found in violation of the rules. The university is also working with the New York State Police to allow its investigators to look into campus sexual assault reports and is adding a case manager to its Office of Civil Rights.
The decision follows an October 2024 report of a sexual assault involving multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity. A lawsuit filed in September 2024 by a woman identified as Jane Doe alleged she was drugged, pressured to use drugs, and sexually assaulted while incapacitated. The university previously closed the Chi Phi chapter and disciplined several students, but criminal charges have not been filed. The seven men named in the lawsuit have denied the allegations, citing either consent or a lack of involvement.
Kotlikoff stated in a letter to the campus community that the suspension will allow for a "thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue." The move comes one day before the Faculty Senate was scheduled to consider a resolution of no confidence in the administration’s handling of sexual assault reports. Lead resolution sponsor and professor Paul Ortiz characterized the timing as "deeply troubling," stating that the administration acted only when faced with accountability from the faculty.
The change in investigative procedure involves New York State Police criminal investigators, who operate independently of Cornell. This follows the removal of the Tompkins County district attorney from the Jane Doe case by the governor after the prosecutor initially declined to pursue charges. New York Attorney General Letitia James is now leading the criminal investigation, while former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates is conducting a separate review of the university's internal response.
Critics, including Andrew Miltenberg, a lawyer for one of the accused men, argued that these restrictions may drive social activity to off-campus locations with less oversight. The university has not clarified if the ban extends to off-campus parties. Next steps include the Faculty Senate's vote on the no-confidence resolution and the ongoing independent reviews by Yates and the Attorney General's office. The university has also committed to hiring additional victim advocates and case managers to assist those reporting sexual misconduct.