Cornell University gang rape case reveals 1200 sexual assaults reported between 2018-24, only 7 expulsion even as over 51 people were found responsible; trend follows in NYU, Coloumbia and major NewYork colleges

Among 1200 cases of sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking that reached Cornell University’s Title IX office between 2018 and 2024, only seven ended with the accused student or employee being expelled or dismissed. 14 of them were suspended, according to a USA TODAY analysis of data reported by Cornell University to New York state.

The findings come as the University is in hot water over its handling of sexual violence. Recently, an ex-student sued the school and seven fraternity members, saying that she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house in October 2024. The Tompkins County district attorney, since then, reopened the criminal investigation on September 28, saying the case would be brought to a grand jury for possible indictment.

More than 1,200 reports, but few serious disciplinary outcomes

The outlet found that Cornell filed disciplinary charges against an accused student or employee in 162 of the more than 1,200 reported incidents between 2018 and 2024. The university found at least one person responsible in 51 cases.

In most cases, however, those individuals were not expelled from Cornell. As found out, many of them got less serious punishments like being placed on probation or getting trained. The number of cases that led to suspension was 14, while those that led to expulsion or dismissal was seven.

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It means that Cornell expelled or suspended less than half of the people who had been found responsible by its disciplinary procedures.

The figures need context. Not every report automatically becomes a formal Title IX case. Cornell told USA TODAY that some reports do not proceed because the university may not know the identity of the victim or accused person, or because a complainant chooses not to pursue a formal resolution.

Cornell’s own survey shows a troubling gap

Disciplinary statistics go hand in hand with information from the Campus Climate Surveys conducted by Cornell. The Cornell 2025 Survey of Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct revealed that 35% of undergraduate females who participated in the survey had encountered non-consensual sexual contact while at Cornell University, compared to 23% in 2023.

However, Cornell University warned that the 2025 survey had seen a significantly low response rate than the previous surveys. Only 926 participants participated, which is 15% of all those invited. Cornell University claimed that such low response rates meant that the results should be viewed with more caution.

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The university’s own 2026 task force also highlighted the issue. Its report said 35% of undergraduate women reported experiencing sexual assault during their time at Cornell. It recommended changes focused on campus culture, prevention, education, reporting resources and institutional accountability.

Cornell is not an outlier in New York

Data from another study conducted by USA TODAY included 26 large four-year colleges in New York which had been reporting comprehensive data for the years 2018 to 2024.

In total, those colleges reported 9,910 instances of sexual assaults, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. 1,295 formal investigations occurred in the process. In the mentioned number, 523 cases resulted in findings of responsibility, 230 in suspension, and 81 in expulsion.

The 81 expulsions represented less than 1% of all reported incidents.

New York state has an obligation to collect aggregated data on sexual misconduct as per Enough is Enough legislation which was passed in 2015.

Why the numbers matter

The issue is not simply how many students are expelled. Title IX processes can also provide survivors with housing changes, academic accommodations, counseling and other support without necessarily leading to disciplinary action.

But USA TODAY’s reporting raises a broader question: what happens when a university formally finds someone responsible for sexual violence but allows that person to remain on campus?

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Sociologist Nicole Bedera told the outlet, “Those numbers strike me that there’s been an erosion of trust.” She argued that perceptions of weak consequences could affect whether students report incidents.

At Cornell, the question has become particularly relevant because reports to the Title IX office fell from 282 in 2018 to 166 in 2024, even as Cornell’s campus surveys showed higher reported levels of nonconsensual sexual contact among undergraduate women.

The decline in reports cannot by itself establish why fewer cases were reported. Cornell has said reporting patterns are affected by factors including whether victims choose to pursue formal cases and whether the university has enough information to investigate.

The Obama-era crackdown changed the debate

The numbers also cannot be separated from the political history of Title IX. During the Obama administration, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights intensified federal enforcement of campus sexual violence. Its 2011 guidance said schools had an obligation to respond promptly and effectively to sexual violence, while subsequent 2014 guidance provided more detailed instructions for institutions.

The approach generated a backlash. Critics, some of whom were part of the Trump administration, argued that universities were sometimes unfairly treating accused men, disciplining accused students without sufficient evidence or adequate procedural protections.

The Trump administration responded by rescinding the Obama-era guidance and eventually issuing its own regulations. The 2020 Title IX regulations, which took effect August 14, 2020, established more extensive procedural requirements for formal sexual-harassment proceedings and narrowed the conduct covered by the federal regulatory framework.

“At many schools, the number of reports of sexual misconduct decreased after the 2020 regulations took effect. That held true at Cornell”, reported USA Today.