Cornell fraternity suspended after report of sexual assault, drugging

A Cornell University fraternity has been temporarily suspended following a report of a sexual assault involving several men late last month, according to campus police.

The alleged incident took place at an off-campus event either late on Oct. 25 or in the early hours of Oct. 26, the Cornell University Police Department said in a news release.

On Friday, an individual reported "being sexually assaulted by several males and coerced into consuming ketamine and other drugs" at a fraternity house on the 100 block of Edgemoor Lane in Ithaca, N.Y. — where both the Lambda Chi Alpha and Chi Phi fraternities have houses.

"The fraternity where this incident occurred has been temporarily suspended, effective immediately," officials said, without naming the fraternity in question.

On Tuesday, Chi Phi's executive director, Michael Azarian, confirmed to The Ithaca Voice the Cornell chapter had been suspended , but said the fraternity's national organization had done so on its own accord.

In a message sent to students on Monday, Ryan Lombardi, Cornell's VP for student and campus life, commented on the "deeply disturbing report of drugging and sexual violence."

According to Lombardi, the Ivy League school "strongly [condemns] the actions of any individuals responsible for such crimes and will hold anyone identified accountable to the fullest extent."

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Cornell University Public Safety Communications Center at (607) 255-1111.