Cornell suspends all frat parties as alleged gang rape fuels continued calls for action

Cornell University has suspended all frat parties and events for the rest of the 2026-27 academic year, president Michael Kotlikoff announced Tuesday, as an alleged gang rape at one of the school's fraternities continues to fuel calls for action and accountability.

'Zero tolerance' for violating new directive, university president says

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Cornell University has suspended all frat parties and events for the rest of the 2026-27 academic year, president Michael Kotlikoff announced Tuesday, as an alleged gang rape at one of the school's fraternities continues to fuel calls for action and accountability.

Kotlikoff, who has faced pressure to resign over the case, said there would be "zero tolerance" for any violations of the new directive.

"Any fraternity holding an in-house party or social event will receive an immediate emergency suspension," he said in a written statement posted on Cornell's website.

It's among a series of measures Kotlikoff said the university is taking "to strengthen campus safety, better support survivors, and begin addressing the social context of sexual violence at Cornell."

The case has drawn international media attention after a woman filed a lawsuit last month against the university and her alleged assailants.

WATCH | How this case sparked a sexual violence discussion:

The high-profile Cornell 7 case has sparked a conversation about sexual violence

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The woman, referred to as Jane Doe in court documents, has accused seven members of Cornell's Chi Phi fraternity of raping her at the frat house in October 2024, while she was incapacitated.

The case set off a wave of protests, including on the university campus in Ithaca, N.Y., and calls for justice and, more broadly, an end to sexual violence.

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Earlier this month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Letitia James, the state's attorney general, as a special prosecutor to investigate the case.

Cornell also said last week that it had appointed Sally Yates, a former U.S. deputy attorney general, to review how the school "prevents and responds to sexual harassment, sexual assault and related misconduct on campus."

That includes a review of how the university responded to Doe's allegations, it said.

WATCH | UBC students march in support of Jane Doe:

Students march at UBC in support of alleged Cornell University gang-rape victim

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In Tuesday's statement, Kotlikoff said the university would appoint a dedicated case manager to help individuals who report sexual misconduct navigate processes such as housing and academic accommodations.

Kotlikoff also said Cornell would allow criminal investigators from the New York State Police, who are independent of the university, to investigate sex assault allegations on campus.

Campus police, who have full law enforcement powers but are controlled by the university, generally investigate crimes reported on Cornell's campus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jillian Kestler-D'Amours is a senior writer at CBC based in Montreal. You can reach her at jillian.kestler-d.amours@cbc.ca.