The suspension follows mass protests at Cornell over the alleged gang rape of a woman at the Chi Phi Fraternity house in 2024. The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, says she was pressured into drinking and taking drugs before multiple fraternity members sexually assaulted her. She filed a civil lawsuit in September against Cornell, seven former students, the fraternity and others, prompting a renewed criminal investigation.
Cornell initially shut down the fraternity and temporarily suspended the accused male students, two of whom were later expelled. The seven men deny the allegations, either stating the sexual activity was consensual or that they were not involved.
Critics accused the university of being too lenient, and thousands of students and faculty rallied on campus this month demanding justice for the accuser. The case attracted global attention, with the hashtag #IAmJaneDoe spreading on TikTok, X and Instagram.
Kotlikoff said it was "clear that we cannot wait for these findings to take action. The university has named former US prosecutor Sally Yates to lead an independent review into how Cornell handles sexual assault allegations. The new zero-tolerance policy will result in the immediate emergency suspension of any fraternity chapter found in violation.
"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.