Cornell University has suspended fraternity house parties until next year and is giving state police a role in investigating reports of sexual assaults on campus, in the school’s latest response to outrage over its handling of a gang rape allegation.
The measures announced Tuesday by Michael Kotlikoff, president of Cornell include a suspension of all parties and social events in Interfraternity Council houses through the end of the 2026-27 academic year and a new “zero tolerance” policy for violations that would result in the immediate emergency suspension of a chapter.
“These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine if and how it can safely continue,” Kotlikoff wrote in a letter to the campus community.
Cornell has more than 20 active fraternities affiliated with its Interfraternity Council. The council did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. It was not immediately clear whether Cornell’s actions would extend to parties and events held off campus.
AP AUDIO: Cornell suspends fraternity parties, gives state police role in investigating campus assault reports
AP correspondent Julie Walker reports that Cornell is suspending fraternity parties and giving state police a role in investigating campus assault reports.
Participants hold signs during a protest against Cornell University’s handling of 2024 fraternity gang rape allegations at the university, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Ithaca, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
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Cornell considers alternatives to fraternity parties
The university president said the school would begin discussions with students and faculty experts about “developing safe social alternatives” to Greek party culture and invest money to get those initiatives off the ground.
Kotlikoff also pledged to add a case manager to the school’s Office for Civil Rights to help those who report sexual misconduct on Cornell’s campus navigate the process, and to work with the New York State Police to allow its criminal investigators — who are independent of Cornell — to investigate the allegations.
Crimes reported on Cornell’s campus are usually investigated by the campus police, a department with full law enforcement powers but controlled by the university.
Campus police operate independently of the municipal police in Ithaca, New York, where the university is located. Its agents investigated the gang rape allegations in 2024 and presented their initial findings to the Tompkins County prosecutor, who declined to prosecute weeks after the woman made her first report to police.
A state police spokesperson declined to comment.
The Chi Phi fraternity house is seen at Cornell University, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Ithaca, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
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Gang rape allegation draws scrutiny over Cornell response
In a trial Filed in September, the woman alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted by several fraternity members after attending a Chi Phi house party in October 2024.
She said she was pressured to use drugs and other men entered the room while she was incapacitated. She also alleges that messages depicting her as sexually available to anyone in the house circulated among fraternity members on Snapchat without her knowledge.
Cornell closed the fraternity chapter and disciplined several students following an internal investigation, but no criminal charges were filed. The seven men charged in the woman’s lawsuit have all denied her allegations, saying either the sexual activity was consensual or that they were not involved.
Andrew Miltenberg, an attorney for one of the men charged in the woman’s lawsuit, criticized the restrictions as a radical response to problems that extend beyond fraternities, arguing that universities promote Greek social life but distance themselves from it when controversies arise.
“Greek life has become a convenient target,” he said in an emailed statement. He warned that parties could simply leave campus, where there would be less surveillance. “Changing the address does not change the behavior.”
New York’s governor removed the prosecutor from the case this month after public outcry over the lack of charges.
The investigation is now being conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia Jameswhile Cornell hired former Assistant United States Attorney General Sally Yates conduct an independent review of the university’s response. The New York State Police sometimes handle major crime investigations on behalf of smaller municipal police agencies, drawing on expertise that is not available locally.
Protesters march from the Washington Monument to the White House during a “Stop Sexual Violence” protest in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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Cornell faces broader pressure for reform
Kotlikoff’s announcement came a day before Cornell’s Faculty Senate passed a proposed resolution expressing distrust in the administration’s ability to effectively combat sexual assault on campus.
In his letter Tuesday, Kotlikoff acknowledged that sexual violence extends beyond fraternities, saying Cornell also must address a campus culture of excessive alcohol and drug use and expand education about students’ responsibility to intervene when others are in danger.
Cornell also plans to add victim advocates and expand sexual violence prevention programs, including education aimed at encouraging bystanders to intervene, he said, calling the various actions announced Tuesday “first steps toward systemic change on our campus.”
“We will take all necessary steps to address the conditions that led to Jane Doe’s experiences and those of other survivors,” he said.
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