Cornell Faculty Senate Votes No Confidence in Leadership Amid Gang Rape 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 senators that afternoon. The resolution carries no power over the university's leadership, but its backers said they hoped it would press the Board of Trustees to confront institutional failures they say have gone on for years.

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

The dispute began in mid-September, when 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, saying either that the sex was consensual or that they were not involved. The local district attorney first concluded that she 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. According to records obtained by The New York Times, two students were expelled and two were suspended and placed on probation. Two more were required to write reflection papers and complete bystander training. The seventh man had already graduated and was barred from campus. Kotlikoff also convened a task force on sexual misconduct, which released certain recommendations.

Some faculty say that was not enough. They have criticized Kotlikoff for not moving 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 its sponsors to say the Jane Doe 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.

Kotlikoff defended himself on the first day of the senate's debate. He pledged to make Cornell a leader in addressing sexual assault and asked for more time. Replacing him, he argued, 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 suggestion that he had been indifferent to the woman's case, though he conceded he had only recently learned 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.

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

Board of 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 were the right leaders to address the issue "thoughtfully and comprehensively." Thomas Giuffra, the woman's attorney, said he hoped the vote would be another step toward educating and supporting the Cornell community.

Junior Yasmeen Masoud, speaking at a news conference organized by the resolution's sponsors, said students should not have to beg for answers or generate media attention to have their concerns acknowledged. Co-sponsor Iris Packman called the vote "only the beginning" and said faculty would push for sweeping reforms. What the trustees do next, along with the Yates findings and the attorney general's review, will shape what follows.