Cornell University announced Tuesday that it is suspending all parties and social events at fraternity houses for the rest of the 2026-27 academic year, following mounting outrage over the university's handling of allegations that a female student was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024.
University President Michael Kotlikoff announced the moratorium as part of a series of measures designed to strengthen campus safety and support survivors. The suspension applies to Interfraternity Council houses, of which Cornell currently has 34. Kotlikoff said fraternities that violate the directive will face immediate emergency suspension.
"These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue," Kotlikoff wrote in a statement to the campus community.
The former undergraduate, identified as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit alleging that seven men sexually assaulted her during a party two years ago. The case has drawn criticism from students, faculty, and donors over how university leadership responded to the allegations. Last month, the U.S. Attorney's Office reopened a criminal investigation into the matter after the student alleged she had been drugged.
Kotlikoff acknowledged the university's failures in his statement. "Deeply do I regret all that Jane Doe suffered in 2024, and I am appalled that such sexual violence occurred in our community at Cornell," he said. "It is clear that women on our campus continue to question whether they are safe. We must respond to this situation by acknowledging where we have fallen short and taking concrete steps."
Beyond the party ban, Cornell is implementing additional measures to address sexual misconduct on campus. The university will add a case manager to the Office of Civil Rights to assist those who report sexual misconduct and help survivors. The school is also establishing a new partnership with the New York State Police, allowing their trauma-informed criminal investigators to assist with investigations of sex crimes on campus.
Kotlikoff also announced a new "zero tolerance" policy for violations of the fraternity party ban. Any chapter found in violation will result in immediate emergency suspension.
School officials said they would work with students and faculty to establish "safe social alternatives" to fraternity parties. Cornell has more than 50 fraternities and sororities, which date back to the mid-19th century. According to university figures, more than 3,000 undergraduate students—approximately one-third of the undergraduate population—participate in Greek life at the school.