Cornell suspends fraternity events amid sexual assault allegations

Cornell University on Oct. 13, 2026, suspended all parties and social events at Interfraternity Council houses through the end of the 2026-27 academic year. President Michael Kotlikoff announced the step in a letter to the campus community, with a zero-tolerance policy that triggers immediate emergency suspension of a chapter for violations. He wrote that 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 add a case manager to the Office of Civil Rights to help those who report sexual misconduct and will work with independent, trauma-informed New York State Police investigators on campus sex-crime allegations, which Cornell University Police currently investigate. The actions follow a female student's allegation that she was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024. Students held a protest over Cornell's handling of the alleged 2024 rape. Kotlikoff wrote he had spent weeks listening to students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and trustees who shared sympathy with Jane Doe and outrage at sexual violence against women. CONTESTED: Some outlets describe the 2024 allegation as gang rape or gang-raped; other accounts call it sexual assault. No other contested claims found in the record.