Cornell bans all fraternity parties over gang sex assault allegations
The school has faced an uproar over how it handled assault allegations brought by a woman known as Jane Doe.
Cornell University is prohibiting all fraternity-house parties as it faces criticism over how it handled an alleged sexual assault on campus two years ago.
Last month, a woman identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit claiming she was drugged and raped by several men in 2024 at a party held at a Cornell fraternity house.
In a statement on Tuesday, Cornell president Michael Kotlikoff announced a set of measures in response to the alleged assault, including ending fraternity parties for the remainder of the school year.
"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," he 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," he added.
In a statement, a lawyer for Doe said she brought a civil lawsuit "to achieve her aim of improving Cornell and its response to abuse claims".
"While the steps announced today are helpful to achieve this goal, they are too late to protect Ms. Doe," said lawyer Thomas Giuffra.
Cornell's president said anyone who breaks the new fraternity party rule at the New York university will be suspended.
The school also said it intends to strengthen support for sexual assault survivors, including adding more staff to help people report sexual misconduct and access other support services.
Under Title IX, the federal law that sets out how universities must handle sexual assault allegations, schools are required to offer support measures to help survivors remain in school after assaults. Doe's lawyer has said she left school after the alleged assault.
The president said the university will permit trauma-informed officers from the New York State Police to investigate sexual assault allegations on campus.
Those officers will speak with survivors who wish to pursue criminal charges and will prepare "comprehensive investigative summaries for the appropriate law enforcement agency", Kotlikoff said.
Cornell has come under scrutiny over the information it shared with the local district attorney's office regarding Jane Doe's allegations.
Among hundreds of documents US media outlets obtained from Cornell's investigation into the assault, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said that in 2024 his office received only a six-page statement signed by the victim, along with Snapchat messages in which the men at the fraternity party advertised a free sexual encounter with Doe.
State officials have also criticised Van Houten's choice not to file charges or interview victims and witnesses himself. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed the state's attorney general, Letitia James, to investigate the case.
Kotlikoff said Cornell would bring in national sexual violence prevention experts to review "the factors leading to campus sexual violence and strategies to promote responsible sexual citizenship".
He said the measures were the first step toward "systematic change" on campus.