Cornell University will examine the role of fraternities and sororities on campus after an outcry over the school’s handling of a student’s rape allegations, the Ivy League school’s president said. A civil lawsuit filed last month by the woman, who alleges she was drugged and raped in 2024 by several members of the Chi Phi fraternity, has sparked outrage and soul-searching at Cornell about campus culture. at the school in Ithaca, New York. In a video message Saturday, Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff said the school would take steps to avoid a similar situation in the future. That included “a serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in university life,” Kotlikoff said. “At their best, these organizations can provide students with friendship, belonging, mentorship and a powerful sense of community,” he said. “But being part of a group can never diminish ‘individual responsibility.'” The university would seek input, he said, from students, alumni and others on how to “preserve what is valuable about Greek life while strengthening individual accountability, transparency and a culture in which each member understands his or her responsibility to protect the safety and well-being of others.” The lawsuit against Cornell, seven fraternity members and others alleges that the school failed to adequately punish “some of the accused students.” have acted wrongly, the New York Times reported. Cornell has defended its handling of the matter, saying it launched a thorough investigation and banned the Chi Phi fraternity from campus. The school said it imposed a series of disciplinary measures, including expulsions, but “we must do better,” Kotlikoff said. “In the coming weeks, we will create additional opportunities for members of our community to ask questions and hear directly from university leaders,” he said.
