Cornell Faculty Senate begins no-confidence vote over response to fraternity rape report
The vote is largely symbolic because trustees decide who leads Cornell, and the seven accused men deny the woman's allegations.
Cornell University's Faculty is set to finish debate Wednesday and begin voting on a resolution. It concerns the administration's response to a woman's report that she was gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024. Electronic voting stays open through Nov. 6, and individual votes are anonymous.
The vote would be largely symbolic, since trustees decide who leads the university. The woman, identified in court papers as Jane Doe, sued Cornell last month. All seven men she accuses deny her allegations.
The Cornell police inquiry stalled once the opted against filing charges. HuffPost says the case was later reopened and passed to the state , while UPI says the district attorney reconsidered and the attorney general's office is investigating. President Michael Kotlikoff faced angry faculty at a closed Oct. 14 meeting, where an AP recording shows he acknowledged some missteps and defended his leadership.
He told The New York Times he never followed up on what happened to the woman. Professors also raised concerns that a student disciplined in the case was placed in shared housing without his roommate being told. According to HuffPost, Cornell said it would review how that was handled.
Three sides of the story
Liberal3 outlets
HuffPost centers on the housing episode. It reports that one of the disciplined students came back this fall after sitting out three semesters and was assigned to a mixed-gender residence hall with a roommate who did not know his history. It quotes psychology professor Corinna Loeckenhoff calling the situation a security risk.
The report also carries Cornell's pledge to review the matter, Kotlikoff's statement that the disciplinary panel made the decision, and attorney Andrew Miltenberg's statement that his client says the encounter was consensual. It adds background on how the fraternity members were disciplined and on privacy law. The Independent focuses on Kotlikoff's admissions: he had not read the police report, never followed up on what happened to the woman, and did not know she had dropped out until the lawsuit was filed.
MS NOW ran the AP report, which also lists other challenges Kotlikoff has faced, including a $60 million settlement of Trump administration civil rights investigations.
Center3 outlets
UPI presents the vote as a symbolic step that could still add pressure on the administration. It quotes the exact wording of the resolution and the faculty co-sponsors' statement that students and alumni had approached them. It gives the exchange at the Oct. 14 meeting, in which professor Risa Lieberwitz said Kotlikoff seemed to be reacting to pressure and Kotlikoff said the process followed policy and federal law.
It reports a letter from Jane Doe's attorney saying she felt unsupported and disbelieved, and a Cornell spokesperson's dispute of that account. UPI also cites the district attorney's reconsideration, the attorney general's investigation and task force survey figures on harassment and non-consensual contact. The Hill says the Senate's 75-plus members hold a second debate on the resolution against Kotlikoff.
NewsNation calls the resolution nonbinding and says backers hope it pushes trustees to act.
Conservative1 outlet
Right-leaning outlets gave the story little coverage. The New York Post ran the AP wire report that MS NOW also published.
Which side made the stronger case?
All sources: 7 articles from 7 outlets
Liberal (3)
- HuffPost: Cornell Assigned Coed Dorm To Student Accused Of Sexual Assault
- MS NOW: Cornell faculty to vote on no-confidence resolution over handling of fraternity gang rape
- The Independent (US): Cornell Faculty Senate to begin no-confidence vote over gang rape allegation response
Center (3)
- NewsNation: Cornell faculty to begin no-confidence vote on Jane Doe rape case response
- The Hill: Cornell Faculty Senate preps for no confidence vote on president after Jane Doe's allegations: What to know
- UPI: Cornell Faculty Senate to begin no-confidence vote over sexual assault
Conservative (1)
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