Cornell University said on Tuesday that it is barring fraternity houses from hosting parties for the remainder of the academic year in an effort “to strengthen campus safety” after the school faced widespread backlash over its handling of an alleged gang rape by fraternity members in 2024.
Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff announced the news in a letter addressed to the campus community, which said that the ban will be effective immediately. He also outlined ways that the university would work to improve how it handles allegations of sexual assault in the future. In addition to strengthening campus safety, he addressed the need to provide better support to survivors—which involves allowing the New York State Police to independently investigate sexual assault allegations—and change the social culture at the university.
Cornell did not immediately respond to questions about the new measures.
The announcement comes about a month after a woman, known as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit against several entities, including Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity, and seven members of Chi Phi that she alleges sexually assaulted her in 2024. The case has made national headlines, and many people have criticized how Cornell and local authorities handled the incident. Hundreds of students and staff members held a protest on campus earlier this month, with some calling for Kotlikoff to resign and others chanting phrases like “Ban the frats!”
Read More: After the Cornell Case, Should Colleges Ban Fraternities?
In his letter on Tuesday, Kotlikoff addressed the backlash, saying that his conversations with various members of the campus community and the campus protests “have underscored my deep conviction that we must do better: that the time for meaningful and lasting change at Cornell, and at campuses across the country, is now.”
“I am deeply sorry for the harm Jane Doe suffered in 2024, and appalled that this act of sexual violence occurred within our Cornell community,” Kotlikoff said. “It is clear that women on our campus continue to question whether they are safe. We must meet this moment by acknowledging where we have fallen short and taking meaningful action.”
Amid mounting pressure, Cornell’s Board of Trustees announced earlier this month that Sally Yates, a former acting U.S. attorney general, will lead an independent review into how the school handled the case. Kotlikoff also addressed the review in his letter, but said “it is clear that we cannot wait for these findings to take action.” Cooperation with the New York State Police would coincide with the independent review; Kotlikoff said in his letter that investigators will interview survivors who decide to pursue criminal charges and “prepare comprehensive investigative summaries for the appropriate law enforcement agency.”
Kotlikoff said that Interfraternity Council houses will be barred from holding parties and social events, which “will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue.” He added that the university will have a “zero tolerance” policy if fraternities violate the new rule, and that any fraternity that hosts “an in-house party or social event will receive an immediate emergency suspension.” Cornell has previously said that the Chi Phi fraternity on campus "was closed in 2024 and remains barred from campus."
Other measures that Kotlikoff announced include strengthening support for survivors, such as by adding staffers to the Cornell Office of Civil Rights, and “changing the social culture at Cornell” through several initiatives, such as enhancing “existing education and programming to address the bystander effect.”
“These are first steps toward systemic change on our campus,” Kotlikoff said. “We will take all necessary steps to address the conditions that led to Jane Doe’s experiences, and those of other survivors. Cornell must be a place where safety is not an open question.”