After the Cornell Case, Should Colleges Ban Fraternities?

A lawsuit alleging the drugging and gang rape of a student by seven members of Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity in 2024 has led to calls for greater scrutiny of fraternities on campus, and even banning them. The case has drawn national attention in recent weeks after it was revealed that only two of the seven men alleged to have been involved were expelled. Both the university and local authorities have come under criticism for their handling of the case.Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said in a video message to the university community on Saturday that the school would take “a serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life” among other steps aimed at creating a safer campus environment. At a protest on the university campus on Monday, people chanted “Ban the frats!”TIME spoke to Nick Syrett, author of The Company He Keeps: A History of White College Fraternities and chair and professor of gender and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, about the case, what makes fraternities different, and why they have proved so hard to rein in.This interview has been edited for length and clarity. TIME: You've written a book about white colle...