Cornell suspends fraternity parties in Ithaca amid sexual assault probe
In Ithaca, Cornell University has suspended fraternity parties through 2027 following public criticism over its response to a reported sexual assault.
Michael Kotlikoff announced Tuesday that Cornell University is pausing fraternity social events in Ithaca through 2027. The sweeping decision follows intense public criticism over school responses to a reported 2024 sexual assault. A zero tolerance rule will bring immediate emergency suspensions for any chapter that breaks the social ban.
University officials will also give the New York State Police a direct role in investigating campus sex crimes. Kotlikoff wrote to the campus community about the new restrictions.
“These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue.”
Cornell will hire a case manager inside its Office of Civil Rights to help reporting students. Outside criminal investigators from the state police will now handle allegations independently from the school.
The president said the school will fund student and faculty efforts to develop safer social alternatives. He noted that sexual misconduct reaches past fraternity houses across the Ithaca grounds. Excessive drinking and drug use also need campus attention, he said.
Reports of crime at Cornell typically go to its own campus police department. That force holds full police powers under university control, functioning separately from municipal officers in Ithaca.
Campus officers investigated the 2024 gang rape allegations and presented findings to local prosecutors. The Tompkins County district attorney declined to prosecute weeks after the woman reported the crime.
New York’s governor removed the district attorney from the case this month. New York Attorney General Letitia James now leads the criminal investigation. Cornell hired former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to review its institutional actions.
The university plans to add victim advocates and broaden its violence prevention programs. Kotlikoff said Cornell will take every step to address the conditions behind the victim’s experiences.
The New York State Police commonly assists smaller municipal police agencies with major criminal cases. The state agency provides specialized investigative resources that local departments might lack during complicated felony inquiries.
Officials said the various steps announced Tuesday represent initial actions toward systemic change across the institution.
