A 21-year-old woman reported being sexually assaulted last weekend at a fraternity house near the University of Chicago, according to a university daily crime log. The incident allegedly took place at about 1.50am on Sunday at the off-campus Alpha Epsilon Pi residence.
In a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, the woman said she was "not fully conscious" when she was found partially undressed inside a bathroom with a man who was also semi-nude. She told police that a group had initially blocked her friends from entering the bathroom.
University officials said on Wednesday that a person of interest had been identified. The individual is not a student and has been banned from campus. Chicago police said no one is in custody and that the investigation remains ongoing.
Jonathan Pierce, a spokesperson for the fraternity, said there was no evidence that its members had participated in the assault or were aware of it. He said several "sober monitors" were on duty during the party, including the chapter's safety officer, and that when members became aware of the victim's report they offered food and water and loaned her a shirt while she waited for emergency response. "We are pleased that the alleged assailant has been identified and hope that the victim can find some solace in knowing that justice is being done," he said.
The case follows a report of a gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house in 2024 that sparked national outrage and a reopened investigation by New York state prosecutors. Cornell has since suspended all fraternity parties for the remainder of the academic year while it assesses the safety of its Greek societies. Last week, the University of Arizona halted all fraternity activity in the wake of hazing and physical assault allegations, including accusations that a chapter coerced recruits into binge drinking and swallowing live goldfish.