Vogue Essay Calls for Universities to Ban Fraternities Over Sexual Assault Data

An opinion piece in Vogue suggests that universities should contemplate the elimination of fraternities, referencing statistics on campus sexual assault and the author's own experiences. The writer, a graduate of Kenyon College and former Sexual Misconduct Advisor, notes that the majority of assaults reported on the student hotline were linked to fraternities. A 2007 study indicated that fraternity members are three times more likely to commit rape compared to their non-fraternity peers, while a 2025 survey from Cornell University revealed that about one in three women reported sexual assault there. In 2024, seven fraternity members faced allegations of drugging and gang-raping a 20-year-old sorority member. The essay also recalls a 2010 incident at Yale involving Delta Kappa Epsilon pledges and the tragic death of an 18-year-old student at Northern Arizona University following a Delta Tau Delta rush event this year. Although the author recognizes that fraternities are not the sole contributors to campus issues, they question the continuation of a system that appears to harm far more students than it benefits. Amherst, Williams, and Middlebury have already banned fraternities.