A Cornell University fraternity swiftly expelled members following allegations of sexual assault made by a woman in late 2024, according to a statement from Chi Phi’s national organization on Wednesday. Trey Robb, interim executive director of the fraternity’s national body, said the Cornell chapter voted unanimously to dismiss the men within three days of the woman reporting the incident to police. The national organization later formalized the expulsions.

“These actions went beyond anything the law or Cornell University required of us,” Robb said in the statement. The fraternity’s response represents the most comprehensive comment to date regarding the allegations brought forward by a woman identified only as Jane Doe in court documents filed last month.

Doe’s lawsuit names Cornell University, the local Chi Phi chapter, and the national fraternity as defendants. She alleges that she was sexually assaulted by fraternity members at their house in Ithaca, New York, and contends that both the university and fraternity failed in their duty to protect her. According to the complaint, the woman had consumed about 10 alcoholic drinks over approximately three hours before arriving at the fraternity house on October 19, 2024. There, she alleges she was given drugs and additional alcohol, and subjected to repeated assaults.

A source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity due to ongoing litigation, said the Cornell chapter initially expelled four men. However, the lawsuit accuses seven Chi Phi members of involvement, and a prosecutor’s summary references seven men. The chapter reportedly only had knowledge or concerns regarding four individuals when the internal action was taken.

Robb did not address the lawsuit’s specifics but defended the fraternity’s efforts to act quickly. “As a private membership fraternity, Chi Phi acted within its own authority at both the chapter and national levels to remove men suspected of betraying the values of our brotherhood,” he said.

The local district attorney’s office initially declined to press charges after investigating the matter in 2024, but the inquiry was later reopened. Prosecutor Matthew Van Houten stated this week that the woman’s sworn statement at the time did not allege being drugged against her will or subjected to gang rape. Instead, he said, the statement described her participation in drug use and sexual activity as voluntary, conscious, and consensual.

Following the woman’s report, Cornell issued a crime alert warning that a victim had been sexually assaulted by multiple individuals and coerced into consuming ketamine and other substances.

The incident and ensuing legal action have intensified scrutiny on Greek life at Cornell, where roughly one-third of undergraduates join fraternities and sororities. Chi Phi’s chapter at Cornell, founded shortly after the university’s first admissions in 1868, has historically been prominent on campus.

While court records do not indicate prior lawsuits involving the chapter, it faced repeated disciplinary actions from Cornell between 2018 and 2023, the year before the alleged assault. Reported violations included hazing, underage drinking, and overcrowding at the fraternity house, though university records provide limited details on these cases.