Chicago police investigating reported sexual assault at University of Chicago fraternity house
By Julianna Bragg, Bill Kirkos, CNN
(CNN) — A 21-year-old woman in Chicago reported that she was sexually assaulted by a man at a fraternity house near the University of Chicago early Sunday, according to the Chicago Police Department.
The woman, who is not a University of Chicago student, reported the alleged assault around 1:50 a.m. during a party at the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house, the school said.
The incident comes as colleges and universities face heightened scrutiny over their handling of sexual assault cases, amid an investigation into an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house at Cornell University in 2024.
The University of Chicago’s chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi said “to the best of our knowledge, no one affiliated with AEPi was involved or complicit with this incident.”
“We condemn this violence unequivocally. Our concern is first and foremost for the person harmed, whose privacy and dignity we ask everyone to respect.”
The fraternity also said its members are continuing to work with authorities and provide any additional information as the investigation continues.
The victim went to the University of Chicago Hospital for treatment, Chicago police said.
The university later alerted the community about the incident to help with the investigation, saying a person intervened and the suspect, who has not yet been identified, fled the scene.
Witnesses described the suspect as a “5’7” South Asian male with dark complexion, short hair on the sides and longer curly hair on top, wearing a black t-shirt, black jogging pants and white shoes,” according to the university’s alert.
An initial review of security camera footage showed an individual fitting that description running from the house, the university said in its alert.
The Chicago Police Department is leading the investigation, with support from the University of Chicago Police Department.
The University of Chicago called the reported assault “deeply concerning for the University community.”
“While fraternities are not Recognized Student Organizations at UChicago and thus have no formal affiliation with the University, all University students are subject to University policies and disciplinary procedures,” the university said in a statement.
“The University remains committed to addressing sexual misconduct cases that occur, to imposing disciplinary consequences as warranted, and to continually improving efforts to prevent sexual misconduct.”
The Alpha Epsilon Pi national fraternity said in a statement it “unconditionally opposes, and its conditions of membership absolutely prohibit, any conduct considered as ‘sexual harassment’ or ‘sexual assault,’ including “repeated propositioning, coercive pressure, unwanted touching and physical violence.”
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