The Student Assembly indefinitely tabled a resolution calling for the abolition of Cornell’s Interfraternity Council and its affiliated fraternities, after more than an hour of debate on Oct. 8.
The debate came five days before Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff’s Tuesday announcement that Cornell will suspend all parties and social events in IFC fraternity houses for the remainder of the 2026-27 academic year while reviewing the future of fraternity life. Kotlikoff also announced increased staffing in the Cornell Office of Civil Rights and additional measures to address sexual violence on campus.
The Assembly’s debate followed weeks of national scrutiny surrounding a Sept. 14 lawsuit filed by a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, who alleged that she was sexually assaulted and gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024.
The lawsuit and subsequent concerns over Cornell’s handling of the allegations prompted widespread protests, including an Oct. 5 rally that drew thousands of demonstrators to Ho Plaza and a Tuesday rally in Ithaca Commons.
The Assembly also discussed resolutions condemning aggressive media, proposing additional preventative measures to combat sexual assault and academic flexibility.
Assembly Debates Abolishing IFC Fraternities
Resolution 21: Abolition of the Interfraternity Council and its Affiliated Fraternities, authored by Adam Sendelbach ’27, representative for the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and Yasmeen Masoud ’28, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, calls on Cornell to abolish the Interfraternity Council and withdraw University recognition from its affiliated fraternities beginning in the 2027-28 academic year.
“I truly believe, in my heart, that reform is not going to work in this situation,” Sendelbach said when presenting the resolution.
The resolution cited repeated incidents of sexual misconduct, hazing and dangerous alcohol consumption within Cornell fraternities. Fraternity chapter houses accounted for 17% of reported sexual assaults in the 2025 survey, making them the third-most frequently reported location after on-campus and off-campus residences.
Masoud argued that Cornell’s history of fraternity reform and lack of substantial action demonstrated the need for a more dramatic approach.
“They’ve been trying to do reform since 2011, and the same stuff keeps happening,” Masoud said.
The Student Assembly Charter grants the body legislative authority over certain Student and Campus Life policies, including those concerning Sorority and Fraternity Life. During the debate on Oct. 8, some representatives questioned whether that authority could be used to enact substantial reforms to the IFC rather than recommend its abolition.
Executive Vice President Hayden Watkins ’28 opposed the resolution, arguing that abolishing University-recognized fraternities could push Greek organizations to operate independently, beyond Cornell’s purview.
“What I foresee happening if fraternities were dissolved is that IFC would simply become its own independent organization with no University oversight,” Watkins said.
Student Assembly President Eeshaan Chaudhuri ’27 also opposed abolition, pointing to the Assembly’s recently proposed task force, intended to bring Greek Life leaders and University administrators together to develop reforms, as an alternate solution.
“I don’t think [abolishing IFC fraternities] is the policy fix that we’re intending to make it to be,” Chaudhuri said.
After more than an hour of deliberation, Watkins moved to table the resolution indefinitely, citing the Assembly’s remaining agenda and the repetitive nature of the debate. The motion passed, leaving open the possibility that representatives could reconsider the proposal in future meetings.
Resolution Condemns Media Harassment
The Assembly also introduced Resolution 27: Condemning Aggressive Media and Business Conduct Towards the Cornell Student Body in response to the media uproar following the Chi Phi lawsuit, but the resolution was not formally adopted during the Oct. 8 meeting.
The resolution, authored by Chief of Staff Ellie Porter ’29 and Representative-at-Large Jai Anand ’29, described student complaints of journalists approaching students outside residence halls, bus stops and academic buildings.
It also alleged that some journalists photographed or recorded students without their consent, including during the confidential portion of the Assembly’s Oct. 1 public hearing on sexual violence.
The Oct. 8 Assembly meeting was restricted to Cornell community members while the previous week’s hearing drew reporters from national and international news organizations including The New York Times, CNN and BBC.
Resolution 27 called on media organizations to respect students’ privacy and refrain from pressuring students into interviews.
It also condemned businesses that allegedly contacted Assembly members with marketing proposals following the lawsuit, including companies selling personal safety products.
Assembly Considers Additional Sexual Assault Prevention Measures and Academic Leniency
Another proposal, Resolution 26: Comprehensive Sexual Assault Prevention Training and Student Review of Curricula, called for comprehensive revisions to Cornell’s sexual assault prevention training.
Authored by Women’s Issues Representative Saanya Agarwal ’27, the resolution recommended mandatory in-person sexual assault prevention training for incoming undergraduates and members of Greek Life, along with student oversight of training materials.
The Assembly also considered Resolution 22, which recommended that Cornell implement a blanket academic flexibility policy during campus crises including “the current crisis.” This policy would feature coursework extensions, examination accommodations and excused absences without requiring medical documentation.
Authored by Masoud and endorsed by several Assembly leaders, the resolution called for extensions of at least three calendar days on assignments and greater flexibility regarding attendance and participation grades. Assembly leaders cited the urgency of students’ academic needs in the aftermath of the Chi Phi lawsuit’s release.
The Assembly also discussed proposals addressing participation grade transparency, secure residential communities, protections for minority-based programs and New York State legislation concerning sexual offense cases.
Several resolutions remained unresolved as the meeting concluded.
Emma Spindler is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a senior writer for the news department and can be reached at espindler@cornellsun.com.
