A woman alleged she was sexually assaulted inside a bathroom over the weekend at an off-campus fraternity house near the University of Chicago, according to a police report, which also states that a group of three to five men were outside the door cheering while the incident was occurring.
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The victim, who is not a university student, reported the assault at 2:10 a.m. on Sunday, roughly 30 minutes after it occurred, and did not know the attacker, according to a university incident report. The party was held at 5625 S. University Ave. in Hyde Park, an address listed on social media as the home of the Lambda chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi, which describes itself as operating chapters on more than 170 college campuses in six countries.
According to the Chicago Police Department report, which was obtained and reviewed by the Chicago Tribune, the victim was dancing at a party when the offender asked her repeatedly to accompany him to his bedroom, which she refused. The report states that the victim “began feeling unwell” and experienced periods of blacking out, then left the dance floor to go to the bathroom.
The victim alleged that the offender followed her inside the bathroom, where she lost consciousness. Upon regaining consciousness, the victim alleged that parts of her clothing had been removed and she had been sexually assaulted. According to the report, a witness observed approximately three to five males standing outside the bathroom door, cheering and appearing to encourage the activity inside.
Tuesday afternoon, the University of Chicago issued a community alert stating that a “person of interest” had been identified and that the person was not a university student or affiliated with the university and has been banned from campus. The university also said the Chicago Police Department’s investigation is still active and that no charges had been filed, so the school “is not at liberty to disclose the name of the person of interest.”
“The University’s public notice about the report of sexual assault the day it happened encouraged others with knowledge of the events to help identify a suspect,” the statement read. “This identification has been corroborated by key witness statements and video evidence from University cameras and license plate readers, all of which has been shared with (Chicago Police Department) by the Department of Safety & Security.”
The university issued an initial alert on Sunday after the incident, informing the campus community that a suspected attacker fled the fraternity house after another person intervened. Witnesses described him as a 5-foot-7 man with a “dark complexion,” short hair on the sides and curls on top, wearing a black T-shirt, black jogging pants and white shoes.
Footage from nearby surveillance cameras showed a person matching that description running from the fraternity house. After receiving the report Sunday morning, university police contacted Chicago police and arranged medical care for the woman at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
In its initial alert, the university called the incident “deeply concerning” and said, “the safety and well-being of our students and all who come to our community is our highest priority.” The U. of C. reiterated that message in a statement to the Tribune Monday.
“As noted in yesterday’s message, 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 university said. “In addition to the CPD’s ongoing criminal investigation, the University is using tools at its disposal to gather information and, when possible, will initiate disciplinary proceedings. The University alerted the national office of the fraternity regarding this case.”
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Similarly, in a post on Instagram Monday, the fraternity wrote that it was “deeply disturbed” by the incident and condemned sexual violence. The post stated the fraternity’s concern is “first and foremost for the person harmed, whose privacy and dignity we ask everyone to respect,” adding that “to the best of our knowledge, no one affiliated with AEPi was involved or complicit with this incident.”
In its post, AEPi wrote that it is working with authorities to provide Chicago police with additional details and that it initially learned of the incident when a sober monitor at the fraternity was alerted and called over by the victim’s friend.
“We immediately responded and multiple members of the fraternity, including our risk manager, arrived at the scene, providing assistance to the victim. A member stayed with the victim until the necessary authorities arrived, only leaving after the police had asked him to do so,” the post states. “The party was shut down immediately following our notice of the events. We will continue to support the investigation to the fullest extent and offer our support in any way possible.”
The chapter was told to halt programming while local law enforcement investigates the reported assault, according to the fraternity’s national organization. AEPi, like other Greek-letter organizations, is not officially recognized by the U. of C., though its students are still subject to the university’s code of conduct and disciplinary procedures.
Specifically, the university’s student handbook states that sexual misconduct violates campus community standards and is “unacceptable” even when it does not violate the law. It urges anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct to report the incident and seek medical care.
“Sexual misconduct can be devastating to the person who experiences it directly and can adversely impact family, friends, and the larger community,” the handbook states.
The report comes as sexual violence on college campuses has been in the news.
Cornell University said Tuesday it is suspending parties and other social events at fraternities on campus for the rest of the academic year in the wake of outrage over the school’s handling of a two-year-old sexual violence case that resurfaced last month. A woman referred to as “Jane Doe” filed a civil suit after a prosecutor declined to pursue criminal charges against seven men she alleged raped her in 2024 while she was intoxicated at a fraternity party on the Ivy League school’s Ithaca, New York, campus.
In its post, AEPi urged anyone with information about the incident or individuals involved to contact the Chicago Police Department’s tip line, writing that “even a small detail may help investigators.”
“Sexual violence has no place in our community,” the post stated. “We are committed to cooperating with the investigation and supporting the victim in any way possible.”
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