NYC Council demands top universities testify about fraternity sex assaults in wake of Cornell scandal

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin has asked the presidents of 10 universities to testify at a 15 December hearing on how they handle campus sexual assaults and fraternity-related misconduct. The council says it wants university leaders to explain their accountability measures before further scandals occur, following high-profile cases in New York state.

The institutions include NYU, Columbia, Fordham and CUNY. State data recorded about 1,100 sexual misconduct reports across the 10 schools’ Title IX offices in the 2024 school year; six resulted in expulsions and 10 in suspensions. The universities receive more than $41 million in discretionary council funding, and students and survivors will also be invited to testify. The council cited a lawsuit alleging a gang rape involving seven men at a Cornell fraternity house, as well as a separate federal case involving a Fashion Institute of Technology student.