Cornell Fraternity Says It Expelled Accused Members as Criminal Investigation Reopens

A Lawsuit Two Years in the Making

A former Cornell University student, referred to as "Jane Doe," filed a civil lawsuit on September 16 alleging she was the victim of gang rape at the university's Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024, when she was 20 years old. The case has ignited a fierce public debate about how elite universities handle sexual assault allegations — and whether institutional responses protect victims or shield perpetrators.

The lawsuit claims that Doe arrived at the Chi Phi Xi Chapter fraternity house around 11 p.m. on October 19, 2024, to visit a friend. She was visibly intoxicated upon arrival, having consumed about 10 alcoholic drinks within the previous three hours. She claims she was then coerced into situations she was unable to consent to while intoxicated, and alleges she was taken upstairs where she was sexually abused and forced to take drugs and drink alcohol throughout the night.

The Fraternity's Response — and the Disconnect

Trey Robb, the interim executive director of Chi Phi's national organization, told the New York Times that the Cornell chapter unanimously voted to dismiss the accused members just three days after Jane Doe made a sworn statement to police. Those members were later expelled from Chi Phi's national organization as well. On the surface, that sounds like a swift and decisive response. But the timeline raises serious questions.

Charges were not filed in November 2024, when the woman first gave a statement to university police, because she did not allege at the time that she was drugged or assaulted. According to Doe's attorney, two of the fraternity members were expelled by Cornell, while five others received lesser sanctions including suspensions, workshops, and writing essays. The lawsuit specifically alleges that some of the men she says gang raped her were allowed to write essays to Cornell "to mitigate their conduct."

Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff specified in a September 29 meeting with student government that two of the accused were expelled, two suspended for at least two semesters, one had already graduated before any punishment could be handed down, and two were found not to be responsible for sexual misconduct.

Criminal Investigation Reopened

Authorities reopened an investigation on September 28 as outrage built over Doe's lawsuit, which was filed against the Chi Phi fraternity, the university, and the seven students she says assaulted her. The Ithaca Police Department said it was "disturbed" to hear about the 2024 allegations, noting it learned about the alleged incident only recently through the media and that the incident was never reported to the agency.

Doe's attorney told CBS News that "not one of these guys was arrested," and added that the woman dropped out of school after the alleged assault. The Tompkins County District Attorney stated that once appropriate charges are determined, "the case will be prosecuted in the most objective and impartial means available — by testimony to the Tompkins County Grand Jury."

A Broader Pattern at Cornell

The gang rape allegation has brought fresh scrutiny to the Ivy League school, which has a history of misconduct cases followed by efforts to reform the Greek system. The Chi Phi Xi chapter at Cornell was shut down in 2024 and is barred from campus, according to the university. Yet critics argue that reactive measures — shutting down chapters after the fact, issuing essays as punishment — fail to create the cultural accountability that genuine reform requires.

The 101-page civil complaint names more than a dozen defendants, including the seven fraternity members, Cornell University, and the Chi Phi fraternity, with allegations including negligence, breach of contract, sexual assault and battery, and violations of New York's Human Rights Law. As the grand jury process moves forward and the civil suit proceeds, this case is poised to become a landmark test of how universities and national Greek organizations are held legally accountable when internal disciplinary systems fall short.