Cornell Faculty Senate Passes No-Confidence Resolution Over Handling of Alleged Fraternity Rape

On Friday, Cornell University's Faculty Senate voted 75-50 to declare "no confidence" in the school's top leadership. Five senators abstained and five others did not vote, according to an email sent to senate members that afternoon. The vote capped weeks of debate among professors over whether President Michael Kotlikoff and other administrators handled a former student's sexual assault allegations properly, and whether they have done enough to curb sexual misconduct on campus.

The resolution is symbolic. The faculty body has no power over the university's top leaders, and the measure did not call for Kotlikoff's resignation. Its backers said they hoped it would pressure Cornell's trustees to address what they described as longstanding institutional failures.

The discontent traces back to mid-September, when a former student sued the university and seven former members of the Chi Phi fraternity. She says she was given ketamine and raped at the fraternity house in October 2024. All of the men have denied the allegations, saying either that the sex was consensual or that they were not involved. The local district attorney initially concluded the woman had consented and that no crime had been committed. That investigation has since been reopened and handed to New York's attorney general.

Cornell's own Title IX investigation ran for months and ended in discipline for several of the accused. Two students were expelled, two received suspensions and probation, and two were required to write "reflection" papers and complete bystander training. A seventh man had already graduated and was barred from campus, according to records obtained by The New York Times. Kotlikoff also convened a task force on sexual misconduct, which has released certain recommendations.

Some faculty have faulted Kotlikoff for not acting more forcefully to strengthen the disciplinary process, push for criminal investigations and change campus party culture. Paul Ortiz, a labor history professor who co-sponsored the resolution, said last week that hundreds of students, staff, alumni and faculty had approached its sponsors to say the case is "but a tip of the iceberg." He said a "veritable fortress of silence" around sexual violence had been breached since the resolution was introduced.

On the first day of debate, Kotlikoff addressed the senators directly. He pledged to make Cornell a leader on sexual assault and asked for more time. He argued that replacing him would do little to solve complex problems and could harm the university's reputation. He acknowledged that he had not read the campus police report, explaining that university policy bars top administrators from interfering in criminal investigations. He rejected the suggestion that he had been indifferent to the woman's case, though he acknowledged learning only recently that she had left Cornell. He said the university must determine whether fraternities can operate safely, left open the possibility of sweeping restrictions on Greek life, and said decisions should rest on research and evidence rather than emotion.

The board of trustees responded Friday. It said the vote reflected deep anger on campus and sent a "clear signal that what happened to Jane Doe is unacceptable," but maintained that Kotlikoff and his administration were the right leaders to address the issue "thoughtfully and comprehensively." Board chair Anne Smalling said the board fully supports Kotlikoff, pointing to expanded sexual assault prevention education, additional victim advocates and more staff in the Office of Civil Rights. Thomas Giuffra, the woman's attorney, said he hoped the vote would be another step toward educating and supporting the Cornell community and addressing the "longstanding scourge of sexual assault on campus."

Some professors argued that faculty should wait for the independent investigation by Sally Yates, the former U.S. Deputy Attorney General. Cornell hired her to examine both how the university responded to the woman's initial report in 2024 and its broader procedures for handling similar reports from other students. Her findings, along with the attorney general's reopened inquiry, are the next developments to watch.