# Cornell case reignites debate over fraternity bans > A lawsuit over alleged gang rape at Cornell University has sparked calls to ban fraternities, but experts say the issues run deeper than any single organization. - Title: Cornell case reignites debate over fraternity bans · TIME - Summary: A lawsuit over alleged gang rape at Cornell University has sparked calls to ban fraternities, but experts say the issues run deeper than any single… - Keywords: cornell university, chi phi, sexual assault, fraternities, hazing, campus safety, nick syrett, michael kotlikoff, Cornell, case, reignites, debate - Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/10/07/in-the-wake-of-cornell-should-fraternities-be-banned- - Author: Richard Hall - Published: 2026-10-07T04:00:03.985+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: cornell university, chi phi, sexual assault, fraternities, hazing, campus safety, nick syrett, michael kotlikoff ## Seven Chi Phi members sued A lawsuit alleges seven members of Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity drugged and gang raped a student in twenty twenty-four, drawing national attention and sparking calls to ban fraternities. ## Only two men expelled Only two of the seven men alleged to have been involved were expelled. Both the university and local authorities have come under criticism for their handling of the case. ## Cornell president promises review Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said in a video message on Saturday the school would take a serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life to create a safer environment. ## Students demand fraternity ban At a protest on the university campus on Monday, people chanted ban the frats, calling for fraternities to be removed from campus entirely. > Ban the frats! ## History of assault in fraternities Nick Syrett, author of The Company He Keeps: A History of White College Fraternities and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says gang rape of intoxicated women in fraternity houses has occurred since at least the nineteen seventies and eighties. ## Single-sex culture drives behavior Syrett says fraternities are unique as single-sex organizations where men join to live out masculinity in particular ways. The culture emphasizes sex and dating, with members reporting who they have hooked up with to enhance masculinity. ## Fraternities own their own houses Most fraternities own their own houses, which means they do not have lots of oversight from university officials. This gives them significant power on campus compared to other student organizations. ## Banning creates a regulatory problem When a university bans a fraternity, it loses the ability to regulate it because the organization is no longer official. Students can still join and live in the house if the chapter remains recognized by its national organization. ## Men in fraternities more likely to assault Men in fraternities are more likely to sexually assault and participate in hazing than men who do not join fraternities. Most evidence suggests people in fraternities drink more than unaffiliated students. ## Loyalty rooted in fraternity history Fraternities were founded as secret organizations and were illegal on college campuses for about twenty five years from eighteen twenty five through the eighteen fifties. Pledging rituals create loyalty through humiliation and sometimes physical harm. ## Fraternities exacerbate but do not create assault Syrett says fraternities exacerbate sexual assault, binge drinking and hazing rather than create them. Removing fraternities would reduce organized group violence and the pressure older members place on younger ones to commit these acts. ## Alumni donations protect fraternities Universities face big pushback when attempting to regulate or ban fraternities. Alumni who were in fraternities are more active in their schools and give more money, making them a powerful base universities do not want to upset. ## Fraternities offer community to isolated students Fraternities appeal to incoming students by promising instant friendship and community at large schools where many arrive knowing no one. For eighteen year olds unsure of themselves, fraternities promise popularity and access to good parties. ## Key takeaway A lawsuit alleging seven Chi Phi members at Cornell drugged and gang raped a student in twenty twenty-four has prompted calls to ban fraternities, though historians argue the problems are systemic rather than organizational.