Cornell Faculty Senate Votes No Confidence in Leadership Over Handling of Fraternity Rape Allegation

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 is symbolic. The faculty body has no authority over the university's leadership, and the measure did not call for President Michael Kotlikoff's resignation.

The vote came after weeks of debate among professors. At issue was whether Kotlikoff and other administrators handled a former student's allegations properly, and whether they have done enough to curb sexual misconduct on campus. In mid-September, the woman filed a lawsuit against 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 seven men have denied the allegations. Some say the sex was consensual, and others say they were not involved.

The criminal side of the case has shifted. 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 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. Two received suspensions and probation. Two were required 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 released certain recommendations.

Some faculty have faulted him for not moving more forcefully to strengthen the disciplinary process, push for criminal investigations and change 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. Their message, he said, was that the Jane Doe case is "but a tip of the iceberg," and that since the resolution was introduced, "a veritable fortress of silence has been breached" around sexual violence.

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, 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 said he had only recently learned she had left Cornell. He also said the university must determine whether fraternities can operate safely, and he left open the possibility of sweeping restrictions on Greek life, saying 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 it said Kotlikoff and his administration were the right leaders to address the issue thoughtfully and comprehensively. Board chair Anne Smalling said the board fully supports him, pointing to expanded sexual assault prevention education, additional victim advocates and more staff in the Office of Civil Rights.

Thomas Giuffra, Jane Doe's attorney, said he hoped the vote would be another step toward educating and supporting the Cornell community by 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 how it responded to the woman's initial report in 2024 and how it handles similar reports from other students. Her findings, along with the state attorney general's reopened criminal inquiry, are what to watch next.