University of Chicago off-campus fraternity claims no member involvement with sexual assault report

Kate Perez and Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune on Oct 13, 2026

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CHICAGO — An off-campus fraternity near the University of Chicago said it is “deeply disturbed” and condemned sexual violence on social media Monday after a woman reported that she was sexually assaulted over the weekend during a party at the home.

The victim, who is not a university student, reported the assault at 2:10 a.m. on Sunday morning, roughly 30 minutes after it occurred, and did not know the suspect, 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, a Jewish fraternity with chapters on hundreds of college campuses around the world.

In a post on Instagram Monday, the fraternity wrote that its 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.”

According to an alert campus officials issued Sunday, the suspect fled the fraternity house after another person intervened. He has not yet been identified, but witnesses described him as a 5-foot-7 South Asian 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 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.

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.”

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 alleges 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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