Cornell University has banned all parties and social events at fraternity houses for the rest of the academic year and will transfer sexual assault investigations to the New York State Police, university president Michael I. Kotlikoff announced on Tuesday.

The sweeping measures come in response to a civil lawsuit filed last month by a former student, identified as Jane Doe, who alleges she was drugged with ketamine and gang raped by members of the Chi Phi fraternity during a party on the night of October 19, 2024.

The lawsuit names the Chi Phi fraternity and seven of its members. It also disclosed that fraternity members used a Snapchat group chat to discuss the woman and events at the party in openly crude language, a detail that sparked widespread outrage across the United States.

Kotlikoff addressed the campus community in a letter on Tuesday, saying the university is committed to tackling what he described as a "deeply disturbing" culture of drug and alcohol abuse and a rise in sexual violence on campus.

"I am deeply sorry for the harm Jane Doe suffered in 2024, and appalled that this act of sexual violence occurred within our Cornell community," Kotlikoff wrote. "It is clear that women on our campus continue to question whether they are safe. We must meet this moment by acknowledging where we have fallen short and taking meaningful action."

In addition to the blanket suspension of fraternity parties and social events through the 2026-27 school year, Kotlikoff announced a new zero-tolerance policy for violations. Any fraternity chapter that breaks the ban will face an immediate suspension.

"These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue," he wrote.

The university will transfer investigative authority over campus sexual assault cases from its own police unit to independent, trauma-informed investigators with the New York State Police. The move is intended to allow independent investigators to handle cases in which survivors pursue criminal charges.

Cornell also plans to add a dedicated case manager to its Office of Civil Rights to help survivors navigate the reporting process, increase staffing in that office, and expand victim advocacy services. The university will bring in faculty experts on sexual assault and rape culture to help reform its Presidential Task Force on Sexual Assault.

Kotlikoff said the university would also enhance bystander intervention training and expand sexual violence prevention programmes.

Following the initial allegations in 2024, Cornell shut down the Chi Phi fraternity chapter and temporarily suspended the accused students. Two of them were later expelled. Critics, however, said the university's response was too lenient, and Cornell subsequently launched an independent review of its handling of the case, led by a former senior federal prosecutor.

The announcement on Tuesday came after student groups organised protests on campus last week. Cornell's faculty senate is also scheduled to hold a meeting on Wednesday at which it is considering a vote of no confidence in the university administration, a rare move reflecting deep frustration over the handling of the case.

Student protest organiser John Hartnett, a sophomore at Cornell, called the new measures a "half measure" and said banning fraternity parties was not a long-term solution to what he described as systemic issues at the university. "The administration is clearly feeling the heat and needed to make a move," he said.

Julia Chang, an associate professor in Cornell's Department of Romance Studies, said trust on campus had not been restored. "The fact that these changes are coming about now — two years later — is a testament to the power of the student movement and the global conversation it has sparked; not the integrity of the administration," she said.

Doe's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, told reporters that Doe has received death threats and that police were deployed to her family's home after she filed the lawsuit.

The moratorium on fraternity events is expected to have a significant impact on campus life. Approximately one-third of all Cornell students participate in fraternities or sororities.

Kotlikoff acknowledged that the problems extend beyond fraternities. "While this is not a problem unique to Cornell, we are committed to setting a higher standard for education, oversight, and enforcement of safe social behavior and citizenship," he wrote, describing Tuesday's announcements as "first steps toward systemic change on our campus."

"We will take all necessary steps to address the conditions that led to Jane Doe's experiences, and those of other survivors," he said. "Cornell must be a place where safety is not an open question."