Cornell University is suspending parties and other social events at fraternity houses for the rest of the academic year and will give the New York State Police a role in investigating sex crimes on campus, university officials announced Tuesday, amid mounting outrage over its handling of allegations that a female student was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024.
The measures announced by Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff include a suspension of all parties and social events at Interfraternity Council houses through the end of the 2026-27 academic year and a new “zero tolerance” policy for violations that would result in the immediate emergency suspension of a chapter.
“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 letter to the campus community.
He also committed to adding a case manager to the school’s Office of Civil Rights to help those who report sexual misconduct on the Cornell campus navigate the process, and to working with the New York State Police to allow their criminal investigators — who are independent of Cornell — to investigate allegations.
Find Your Qualified Amazon Prime Trial
Select your category below to unlock your specific free trial and discounted membership rate:
Prime for Young Adults
Included with Prime for Young Adults:
- Fast, Free Delivery: Unlimited Same-Day, One-Day, and Two-Day Delivery on millions of items.
- Unlimited Streaming: Prime Video with award-winning Originals, movies, and live sports.
- $0 Food Delivery Fees: Free Grubhub+ membership included (save ~$120/year).
Amazon Prime (Standard)
Included with Amazon Prime:
- Fast, Free Delivery: Unlimited Same-Day, One-Day, and Two-Day shipping options.
- Instant Entertainment: Award-winning TV shows, movies, music, and photo storage.
- Full Access to Alexa+: AI assistant for entertainment, deals, and smart home tracking.
Amazon Prime Access
- Full Prime Benefits: Free shipping, Prime Video, and exclusive shopping deals.
- No Long-Term Commitment: Cancel or pause membership anytime.
Crimes reported on Cornell’s campus are generally investigated by campus police, a department that has full law enforcement powers but is controlled by the university. The campus police force operates independently from municipal police in Ithaca, New York, where the university is located. Its officers investigated the 2024 gang rape allegations and presented their initial findings to the Tompkins County district attorney, who declined to prosecute within weeks of the woman making her first report to police.
New York’s governor removed the district attorney from the case this month after a public outcry over the lack of charges.
The investigation is now being led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, while Cornell has hired former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent review of the university’s response. New York State Police sometimes handle major crime investigations for small municipal police agencies, bringing in expertise that isn’t available locally.
This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/cornell-bans-fraternity-parties-wake-172240654.html