Ithaca mayor moves to ban Cornell event permits after rape allegations - USA Today

The mayor of Ithaca, the New York city home to Cornell University, called for a ban on student event and special event permits in the wake of "sickening" allegations of a 2024 gang-rape on campus.

A young woman, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents, filed a civil lawsuit in New York alleging that multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity took part in her sexual assault nearly two years ago, referring to the alleged assault as a “gang rape.” The complaint also accuses Cornell University of failing to protect the woman.

New York prosecutors reopened the criminal investigation into the assault after declining to bring charges in November 2024, when the woman first reported the assault to law enforcement in a statement that "did not allege that she was drugged against her will or gang raped," according to Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten.

Mayor Robert Cantelmo said the university also failed to coordinate a response with the Ithaca Police Department and hold the alleged perpetrators accountable, calling the incident "a miscarriage of justice."

"Given this appalling response from university administration, I have no choice but to declare a new policy directive and corresponding Common Council resolution, implementing an immediate moratorium on all student event and special event permits, including, but not limited to Greek life and other student group gatherings, until such time that the University conducts an accounting of its protocols to prevent and prosecute crimes of sexual violence and publicly releases new standards and practices to keep our community safe," Cantelmo said in a statement on Sept. 28.

“Cornell shares the mayor’s interest in student well-being and safety," a university spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We will work with him to address his concerns.” 

Kyle Kimball, vice president for University Relations, said in a statement Sept. 28 that the school conducted a monthslong Title IX investigation that resulted in "a range of sanctions, which included expulsions and suspensions from Cornell." The accused fraternity chapter remains barred from campus, Kimball said.

"Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false," Kimball said. "A continuation of the false narrative that there were minimal consequences in this case is irresponsible, will make survivors feel less safe and supported, and will perpetuate the underreporting of sexual assault."

Though the lawsuit said the matter was being investigated by the Ithaca Police Department, the department said in a Sept. 28 statement that the incident was not reported to them. Ithaca police "learned of these allegations recently through the media," the statement said.

The Common Council must approve a resolution before the moratorium can take effect, according to Alan Karasin, public information officer for the city. The next voting meeting will on be Oct. 7. 

Four members of the Common Council told student newspaper The Cornell Daily Sun they would vote in support of the moratorium on event permits. A special event permit is required when a gathering meets three or more criteria like the use of amplified sound, the sale or provision of alcohol, or an outdoor gathering of 50 or more people, according to the city's website.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has also called for a probe into the university following the announcement of the reinvestigation. Hochul said in a statement shared to X on Sept. 29 that there are "serious questions about Cornell’s campus culture and its systems for prevention, reporting, and response.”

“That is why I am calling for outside counsel to conduct a transparent, independent review of the university’s response to determine whether Cornell met every obligation to protect its students and pursue justice,” she said.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.