Cornell Faculty Senate approves no-confidence resolution over university’s handling of sexual assault crisis
By Gloria Pazmino ·
Cornell University’s Faculty Senate approved a resolution Friday expressing no confidence in the university’s central administration and in its president Michael Kotlikoff over the school’s handling of alleged sexual assault on campus.
The vote of no confidence is a sharp rebuke to the university’s leadership. It comes nearly two months after a former student, identified only as Jane Doe, sued Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity chapter, seven of its members and several other entities, alleging the school failed to protect her and adequately punish students after she was sexually assaulted during a fraternity house party in 2024.
The case has sparked protests on campus, faculty criticism against the school administration and renewed scrutiny of the university’s policies and its response to sexual violence on campus. The senate is Cornell’s main legislative advisory and review body, with more than 75 members representing the university’s faculty.
The vote of no confidence was approved by a vote of 75 faculty members.
In a statement, Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the Board of Trustees, said the board would continue to support Kotlikoff.
“Today’s Faculty Senate vote reflects the deep anger across our campus and sends a clear signal that what happened to Jane Doe is unacceptable,” Meinig said. “The Board of Trustees remains confident that President Kotlikoff and his administration are the right leaders to thoughtfully and comprehensively address the serious problem of sexual assault on our campus.
The resolution does not itself remove President Kotlikoff or any other administrator because Cornell’s Faculty Senate does not have the authority to dismiss the president. Still, supporters have argued that a vote of no confidence sends a powerful signal to university leadership and turns up the pressure on the university’s Board of Trustees, which has authority over the president and oversees the school’s $13.6 billion endowment.
The controversy has intensified scrutiny of Kotlikoff, who has urged faculty to allow time for reforms while some faculty and students have called for his resignation. The vote comes as Cornell faces broader pressure over its handling of sexual assault allegations on campus. Since Doe’s lawsuit, Cornell launched an independent review of its response, and New York Attorney General Letitia James is overseeing a separate criminal investigation into Doe’s 2024 case.
The no-confidence measure, which drew the support of 18 faculty senators and 165 faculty members, was introduced in September by Paul Ortiz, a professor of labor history in Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, who told CNN he drafted the measure in response to hundreds of students who asked faculty to take a stand in the aftermath of Doe’s case.
The resolution, reviewed by CNN, says the Faculty Senate has “no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University.”
Despite Friday’s vote expressing no confidence in the administration, there were weeks of contentious debate within the Faculty Senate over whether the university’s leadership had done enough to address concerns about sexual assault and whether faculty should wait for an independent investigation before passing judgment.
During a Faculty Senate meeting last month, senators rejected a motion to delay the no-confidence vote until after the independent review led by former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates is completed.
Supporters of the motion to delay argued the vote was premature and risked undermining response efforts already underway, including the independent review. Some faculty members also questioned whether a no-confidence resolution would produce meaningful change.
Those who supported the vote of no confidence argue the administration’s response to sexual assault has been too slow and reactive, and that the university has failed to adequately address longstanding concerns about campus safety and accountability on campus.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Originally published by CNN
