NEW YORK — An alleged gang rape at Cornell University, detailed in a graphic lawsuit last month, has provoked fury in the United States over sexual violence on campuses and colleges’ failure to stamp out the behavior.

The accuser has said that in 2024 she was drugged with ketamine, assaulted and raped by seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity, a social club for male students.

Her allegations fell within what activists call the “red zone,” a period at the start of the academic year when a large share of assaults happen, often at parties fueled by drugs and alcohol.

An estimated one in four female students and one in 14 male students experience rape or sexual assault at some point during their undergraduate studies, according to a 2020 study by the Association of American Universities.

Mental health nonprofit the Jed Foundation has reported that men in fraternities – which are routinely criticized for shielding sexism – are more likely to commit sexual violence.

The accused students in the Cornell case were members of the Chi Phi fraternity, one of several “Greek life” organizations common across US colleges.

Meanwhile, the accuser was part of a sorority for female students. Sorority members are statistically more likely than their non-affiliated peers to suffer sexual assault.