Ketamine, Campus Parties, and an Allegation at Cornell

A lawsuit filed in 2026 says a Cornell student was given ketamine at a fraternity party in October 2024 and later sexually assaulted. The university investigated the incident in 2024, and university police shared the student's statement and message screenshots with the county district attorney, but prosecutors did not file criminal charges.

Ketamine is an approved anesthetic that has also been used illicitly at parties because it can produce dissociation and amnesia, which may leave a person unable to give or withhold consent. Health agencies have documented increases in ketamine detection in overdoses and warn that unmonitored use can cause heavy sedation, breathing and heart problems, and memory gaps. The drug is federally controlled as Schedule III in the United States, which reflects medical use but also potential for misuse. The combination of alcohol, other drugs, and ketamine can increase risk, so campuses and students have been urged to take precautions and report concerns to campus safety or health services. Although the district attorney said the initial statement did not show forcible compulsion or being rendered unconscious, the case has prompted debate about how universities and law enforcement handle reports that involve drugs and memory gaps. Since campuses can be sites of social drinking and drug use, student education and clear reporting pathways have been recommended by advocacy groups and university task forces.