Cornell president vows "serious look" at fraternities after rape allegations

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 allegation, the Ivy League school's president said on Saturday.

A civil lawsuit filed last month by a 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 over its campus culture at the school in Ithaca, New York.

The university president said the school would take a "serious look" at fraternity life in light of the allegations, responding to mounting pressure from students, faculty and advocacy groups over how the institution handled the woman's initial complaint.

Wider scrutiny of Greek life

The lawsuit has reignited long-standing concerns about oversight of fraternities at Cornell and other universities, where critics argue that self-governing Greek organizations often operate with insufficient institutional accountability for incidents of sexual violence.

Cornell has not detailed what specific changes, if any, will result from the review, but the president's statement suggests the university anticipates further policy scrutiny of fraternity recognition, housing and disciplinary procedures.

Chi Phi's national organization and the fraternity's Cornell chapter have not issued public statements responding to the allegations detailed in the lawsuit.