In a university that has long treated its own walls as a kind of shelter, the faculty of Cornell have now said, through a 75-50 vote, that they no longer have confidence in the people steering the institution through a painful reckoning. The vote follows a former student's allegation that she was drugged and gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024, an accusation the accused men deny and one that has moved between campus discipline, a closed prosecutorial file, and now renewed state scrutiny. The vote carries no binding force, but it gives voice to a sense, shared by many on campus, that the i
Cornell Faculty Senate Votes No Confidence in Leadership Over Handling of Alleged Fraternity Rape
A former student alleges she was given ketamine and gang raped at a Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024; the accused men deny the allegations.
"A veritable fortress of silence has been breached"
Mark
The vote was 75-50. Is that a big margin?
Mimi
It's a clear majority of those voting, but ten senators abstained or didn't vote. And it carries no formal power over the president.
Mark
So why hold it?
Mimi
Backers hoped it would push the trustees. Paul Ortiz said hundreds of people approached the sponsors, saying this case is a tip of the iceberg.
Luke
Worth noting that's Ortiz's account. The reporting doesn't give us any independent count of other cases.
Mark
What did the trustees say?
Mimi
They acknowledged the anger and said what happened to Jane Doe is unacceptable, but backed Kotlikoff fully and pointed to more advocates and staff.
Luke
And the allegations themselves are unproven. All seven accused men deny them, and the district attorney first found consent before the attorney general took over.
Mark
Kotlikoff said he hadn't read the police report.
Mimi
He said policy bars top administrators from interfering in criminal investigations. Critics wanted him to push harder anyway.
Luke
What's still unknown is what Sally Yates will find. Until her report arrives, claims about how Cornell responded in 2024 are arguments, not findings.
Mark
So the resolution may matter less for what it does than what it signals?
Mimi
That's how supporters see it, and the trustees' reply suggests they heard the signal without changing course.
Der Puls
- A symbolic 75-50 vote has cut across Cornell's faculty, signaling deep unrest without the power to remove anyone from office.
- A former student's allegation of drugging and gang rape at a Chi Phi house has reopened hard questions about discipline, criminal referrals, and campus party culture.
- President Kotlikoff admits he never read the campus police report, pleads for more time, and warns that a leadership change would not fix complex problems.
- Trustees have publicly backed the president, while faculty sponsors say hundreds of students and alumni are coming forward with their own stories.
- All eyes now turn to Sally Yates's independent investigation and whether the board moves beyond words to structural change.
In a university that has long treated its own walls as a kind of shelter, the faculty of Cornell have now said, through a 75-50 vote, that they no longer have confidence in the people steering the institution through a painful reckoning. The vote follows a former student's allegation that she was drugged and gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024, an accusation the accused men deny and one that has moved between campus discipline, a closed prosecutorial file, and now renewed state scrutiny. The vote carries no binding force, but it gives voice to a sense, shared by many on campus, that the institution's response has been too slow, too narrow, and too quiet. What comes next will depend less on the vote itself than on whether the trustees and an outside inquiry can convince a wounded community that the hard questions are being faced rather than managed.
On a Friday, Cornell University's Faculty Senate voted 75-50 to declare no confidence in the school's top leaders. The vote came after weeks of argument among professors over how the university had handled a former student's claim that she was gang raped at a fraternity party in October 2024. It carries no real authority: the senate cannot change leadership, and the resolution did not demand that President Michael Kotlikoff step down. Its backers hoped it would push the trustees to confront failures they described as longstanding.
The case surfaced in September, when the woman sued the university and seven former members of the Chi Phi fraternity. She says she was given ketamine and assaulted at the fraternity house. The men deny the allegations. A local district attorney first concluded no crime had occurred, but that inquiry has since been reopened and handed to New York's attorney general. Cornell's own Title IX process produced discipline: two students were expelled, two suspended and placed on probation, and two others assigned reflection papers and bystander training. A seventh man had already graduated and was barred from campus.
For many faculty, that was not enough. Critics said Kotlikoff had not pushed hard enough on stronger discipline, criminal referrals, or the drinking and party culture around fraternities. Paul Ortiz, a labor historian and co-sponsor of the resolution, said hundreds of people had approached him to say this case was only the visible edge of a larger problem, and that the resolution had broken a long silence about sexual violence on campus.
Kotlikoff pledged to make Cornell a leader on the issue and asked for more time. He argued that replacing him would not solve complicated problems and could damage the university. He acknowledged he had not read the police report, explaining that policy keeps top administrators out of criminal matters, and he said he had only recently learned the woman had left Cornell. He left open sweeping limits on Greek life while insisting decisions rest on evidence.
The trustees responded by calling the vote a sign of deep anger and saying what happened to the woman was unacceptable, while standing firmly behind the president. Some professors had asked colleagues to wait for the independent investigation led by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. Her findings, and whether the board moves beyond statements of support, will determine whether the pressure on Cornell's leadership keeps growing.
On Friday, Cornell University's Faculty Senate passed a resolution declaring "no confidence" in the school's top leaders. The vote was 75-50, with five senators abstaining and five others not voting, according to an email sent to senate members that afternoon. The result followed weeks of debate among professors over how the university handled a former student's allegation that she was gang raped at a fraternity party in 2024.
The vote is symbolic. The Faculty Senate has no power over the university's leadership, and the resolution did not call for President Michael Kotlikoff to resign. Its backers said they hoped it would pressure Cornell's trustees to address institutional failures they described as longstanding.
The case behind the vote surfaced in mid-September, when the former student filed a lawsuit against the university and seven former members of the Chi Phi fraternity. She says she was given ketamine and raped at a fraternity house in October 2024. All seven men deny the allegations; they say either that the sex was consensual or that they were not involved. The local district attorney initially concluded that 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 process ended with discipline for several of the accused. After a Title IX investigation that lasted months, two students were expelled and two were suspended and placed on probation. Two more 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 released certain recommendations.
Some faculty said that was not enough. They 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 who co-sponsored the resolution, said hundreds of students, staff, alumni and faculty approached its sponsors to say the case is "but a tip of the iceberg." He said that since the resolution was introduced, "a veritable fortress of silence has been breached" around sexual violence.
Kotlikoff spoke to senators on the first day of debate. He pledged to make Cornell a leader in addressing 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 he had not read the campus police report, explaining that university policy bars top administrators from interfering in criminal investigations. He rejected suggestions that he was indifferent to the woman's case, though he acknowledged learning only recently that she had left Cornell. He also said the university must determine whether fraternities can operate safely, left open the possibility of sweeping restrictions on Greek life, and argued that 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 the president, and cited expanded prevention education, additional victim advocates and more staff in the Office of Civil Rights. Thomas Giuffra, the plaintiff's attorney, said he hoped the vote would be another step toward educating and supporting the Cornell community and addressing what he called the longstanding scourge of sexual assault on campus.
Some professors had urged colleagues to wait for an independent investigation by Sally Yates, the former U.S. Deputy Attorney General. Cornell hired her to examine both its response to the woman's initial report in 2024 and its broader procedures for handling similar reports. Her findings, and whether the trustees move beyond their statement of support, will show whether the pressure on Cornell's leadership grows.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The Board fully supports President Kotlikoff and his administration as they continue to listen and act decisively in support of students.— Anne Smalling, Cornell board chair
The Jane Doe case is but a tip of the iceberg.— Paul Ortiz, labor history professor and resolution co-sponsor
Möchten Sie die ganze Geschichte?
Das Original lesen bei San Diego Union-Tribune ↗
Education