Fraternities have existed on college campuses across the United States for decades and function as all-male social clubs where students live, study, and socialize. Over the years, the groups have become notorious for their drunkenness, partying, and dangerous hazing rituals. In a statement, an attorney representing Doe said he filed a civil lawsuit “to achieve his goal of improving Cornell and its response to allegations of abuse.” “While the measures announced today are helpful in achieving this goal, they are too late to protect Ms. Doe,” said attorney Thomas Giuffra. Cornell’s president said anyone who violated the fraternity party’s new policy at the NYU would be suspended. The university also said it planned to improve support for survivors of sexual assault, including more staff to help people report sexual misconduct and also navigate support systems. Through Title IX, the federal law that governs how colleges handle sexual assault claims, colleges must provide supportive measures to help survivors continue their studies after assaults. Doe’s attorney has said she dropped out of school after the alleged assault. In an interview with the New York Times published Tuesday, Kotlikoff said he only learned that Jane Doe had withdrawn from the university after she filed a legal case over the alleged assault last month.
