Cornell Faculty Set to Cast No-Confidence Ballot on Sexual Assault Response
Cornell University faculty will finish discussion before casting ballots on a no-confidence resolution concerning the administration’s response to sexual assault on campus. The vote follows growing frustration over the university’s handling of a former student’s allegations about an assault at a fraternity house in 2024 and her subsequent complaints to the school.
The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, alleges in a lawsuit filed last month that seven members of Chi Phi fraternity assaulted or exploited her and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. All seven men deny the allegations. The university police investigation made no further progress after the district attorney declined to pursue criminal charges.
At a Faculty Senate meeting on October 14, President Michael Kotlikoff acknowledged missteps and asked faculty to give him more time to pursue reforms and cultural changes. He said an independent review of Cornell’s handling of the matter could lead to meaningful changes. Kotlikoff also said he had not read the university police report, citing confidentiality and university policy against senior administrators taking part in criminal investigations. He disputed the suggestion that he had not cared about the case.
Faculty members also raised concerns about the return to campus of a disciplined student who was placed in campus housing alongside a roommate who had not been informed of the student’s disciplinary record. Some faculty questioned whether the administration could effectively address sexual assault; others cautioned that a quick vote would not solve underlying problems.
The meeting on October 28 is closed to the public and media. Anonymous electronic voting will continue through November 6. The resolution would not compel changes, but could signal faculty sentiment to trustees, who choose the university’s leaders.
Cornell Faculty Challenge Leadership Over Sexual Assault Response
Cornell faculty are being asked to judge whether the university’s leadership can effectively confront sexual assault on campus, after a former student’s allegations and complaints prompted mounting anger over the administration’s response. The vote begins October 28 and offers faculty a way to press trustees to take those concerns seriously.
The former student, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, alleges that seven members of Chi Phi fraternity assaulted or exploited her in 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. The men deny the allegations. The university police investigation made no further progress after the district attorney declined to pursue criminal charges.
At an October 14 Faculty Senate meeting, President Michael Kotlikoff acknowledged missteps but asked for more time to make reforms and change student social culture. He pointed to an independent review as a path to meaningful change. But faculty members questioned whether the administration could effectively address sexual assault, and raised concerns about a disciplined student’s return to campus housing alongside a roommate who had not been told about the student’s disciplinary record.
Kotlikoff said he had not read the police report, explaining that the investigation was confidential and university policy keeps senior administrators out of criminal investigations. His defense does not erase the faculty’s central concern: whether Cornell’s leadership has shown the urgency and accountability needed to protect students and respond to complaints.
The meeting is closed to the public and media, and anonymous electronic voting runs through November 6. The measure is symbolic and cannot force changes, but it can put pressure on the trustees who control university leadership.
Cornell No-Confidence Vote Risks Replacing Reform With Symbolism
Cornell faculty will begin an anonymous vote October 28 on whether to declare no confidence in the university administration, even as the president says reforms and an independent review are needed to address sexual assault concerns. The vote cannot force leadership changes, and some faculty members have warned that a rushed verdict will not fix the underlying problems.
The resolution follows allegations by a former student, identified as Jane Doe, that seven members of Chi Phi fraternity assaulted or exploited her in 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. All seven men deny the allegations. The university police investigation made no further progress after the district attorney declined to pursue criminal charges.
At the October 14 Faculty Senate meeting, President Michael Kotlikoff acknowledged missteps and asked for more time to change student social culture and implement reforms. He said an independent investigation could produce meaningful improvements. Kotlikoff also explained that he had not read the police report because the investigation was confidential and university policy bars senior administrators from taking a role in criminal investigations.
Faculty have also questioned how a disciplined student was allowed back on campus and housed alongside a roommate who had not been told about the student’s disciplinary record. Those are serious concerns, but a symbolic no-confidence measure is not itself a remedy. Replacing leadership could harm the university’s reputation, Kotlikoff has argued, while experienced leadership is needed to tackle the problems.
The closed meeting concludes debate, and electronic voting continues through November 6. The result may send a message to trustees, who decide who leads Cornell, but the ballot itself cannot mandate changes.
Reported by KPRC 2 Click2Houston, WTOP, MSNBC, ABC7 New York, CBS New York, New York Post.
