Cornell Halts Fraternity Parties After Jane Doe’s Lawsuit

The announcement comes about a month after a woman, known as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit against several entities, including Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity, and seven members of Chi Phi that she alleges sexually assaulted her in 2024. The case has made national headlines, and many people have criticized how Cornell and local authorities handled the incident. Hundreds of students and staff members held a protest on campus earlier this month, with some calling for Kotlikoff to resign and others chanting phrases like “Ban the frats!”

In his letter on Tuesday, Kotlikoff addressed the backlash, saying that his conversations with various members of the campus community and the campus protests “have underscored my deep conviction that we must do better: that the time for meaningful and lasting change at Cornell, and at campuses across the country, is now.”