Cornell bans frat parties over alleged 2024 gang rape

CW: sexual violence

Cornell University has banned frat parties.

It comes after the alleged gang rape of a woman in 2024.

Cornell University has announced a ban on social events at campus frat houses until mid-2027.

The decision comes as police investigate members of the Chi Phi fraternity for the alleged gang rape of a woman in 2024.

The college said it will review “fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue.”

Here’s the latest.

Background

In October 2024, Jane Doe, then 20, visited her friend Matthew Ingalls at his fraternity following a night out.

Doe alleges Ingalls and his fraternity brother Jonathan Newell pressured her into taking what they said was ketamine.

Once Doe was incapacitated, the lawsuit alleges Ingalls and Newell then “began engaging in sexual acts with the Plaintiff, all without her consent”.

A message was sent to the fraternity’s Snapchat group chat encouraging others to join.

Doe alleges she was assaulted by multiple men for hours, until 5:45am.

Investigation

A few weeks later, Doe reported the alleged assault to Cornell’s campus police, giving them an official statement of events.

Local district attorney Matthew Van Houten said the evidence didn’t support criminal charges.

Doe’s legal team told CBS News investigators never followed up with her after she gave her initial testimony to campus police.

Civil case

In mid-September 2026, Jane Doe sued the seven men she alleged raped her, Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity, her sorority, and a local nightclub.

Doe accuses Cornell of failing to protect her, despite what she says were known risks around drugs and sexual misconduct in fraternities.

Criminal case

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This month, Van Houten announced he was reopening the criminal case following the civil lawsuit and intensified public interest.

He’s asked a senior prosecutor to prepare it for a grand jury, where a group of citizens hears evidence in a closed court (no media allowed) before deciding if a case will go to trial.

A criminal case will run alongside the civil lawsuit if the grand jury determines it should go ahead.

Cornell response

Cornell ran its own investigation, including 12 hearings.

The Chi Phi frat house was shut down in 2024 and is still barred from campus.

Doe alleges Cornell also responded to the testimony by suspending seven students and asking them to write essays.

The college has since said none of the men “were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement,” but didn’t clarify what specific actions were taken.

Event ban

On Tuesday (local time), Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said all parties and social events at fraternity houses will be suspended until mid-2027.

“These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue,” he said.

Kotlikoff also shared that more staff will be appointed to victim support roles, including a new Case Manager to help victim-survivors through steps such as accessing financial aid and housing.

“We will take all necessary steps to address the conditions that led to Jane Doe’s experiences, and those of other survivors. Cornell must be a place where safety is not an open question," Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff said in a statement announcing the ban.