Cornell Faculty Senate Votes No Confidence in Leadership After Fraternity Assault Lawsuit

On Friday, Cornell University's Faculty Senate voted 75-50 to declare no confidence in the school's top leaders. Five senators abstained and five others did not vote, according to an email sent to senate members that afternoon. The resolution carries no power over the administration. Its backers said they hoped it would press the Board of Trustees to deal with institutional failures they say have persisted for years.

The vote came after weeks of argument among professors. The question was whether President Michael Kotlikoff and other administrators handled a former student's allegations properly, and whether they have done enough to reduce sexual misconduct on campus. The resolution did not call for Kotlikoff to resign.

The campus has been unsettled since mid-September. A former student, identified in court documents only as Jane Doe, 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. They say either that the sex was consensual or that they were not involved.

The criminal side of the case has shifted. The local district attorney first concluded that the woman had consented and that no crime was committed. That investigation has since been reopened and handed to New York's attorney general.

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

Some faculty say that is not enough. They have criticized 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 and co-sponsor of the resolution, said last week that hundreds of students, staff, alumni and faculty had approached the sponsors. They told him, he said, that the Jane Doe case is "but a tip of the iceberg," and that a "fortress of silence" around sexual violence had been breached since the resolution was introduced.

Kotlikoff addressed senators on the first day of debate. 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 damage the university's reputation. He acknowledged that he had not read the campus police report, saying university policy bars top administrators from interfering in criminal investigations. He rejected the idea that he had been indifferent, though he said he had only recently learned the woman had left Cornell. He also said the university must determine whether fraternities can operate safely, left open the possibility of sweeping limits on Greek life, and said decisions should rest on research and evidence rather than emotion.

Some professors had urged waiting until an independent investigation is released. Former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates was hired to examine how Cornell responded to the woman's initial report in 2024 and how it handles similar reports from other students.

Trustees Chair Anne Smalling said the vote "reflects the deep anger across our campus" and signals that what happened to the woman was unacceptable. She added that Kotlikoff and his administration are the right leaders to address the problem thoughtfully and comprehensively. Thomas Giuffra, the woman's attorney, said he hopes the vote is another step toward educating and supporting the community. Iris Packman, a co-sponsor, called the vote "only the beginning" and said faculty will press for sweeping reforms.

What to watch: the Yates report, the attorney general's reopened inquiry, and whether the trustees act on the faculty's demands for changes to discipline and Greek life.