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Science & Health

Cornell faculty votes no confidence in leaders over handling of rape allegation

The symbolic vote does not call for President Michael Kotlikoff's resignation, and the board of trustees says it fully supports him.

Day Hall at Cornell University
Day Hall at Cornell University. Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
13 news outlets reported this
Liberal5 outletsfaculty demands for systemic change, Kotlikoff's admitted misstepsCenter6 outletsa symbolic rebuke and the board's answerConservative2 outletsa symbolic vote, and a board backing Kotlikoff
Published 4 min read
Overview

Cornell University's Faculty passed a resolution on Friday, Nov. 6, in the school's central administration. The text says the senate has no confidence in the administration's ability "to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University." The vote follows a lawsuit filed in September by a former student, identified as Jane Doe.

She says seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity gang raped her in October 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. The seven men deny the allegations, and none has been charged. Seventy-five senators voted in favor.

The vote is largely symbolic. The senate cannot remove leaders, only the board of trustees can, and the resolution does not call for President Michael Kotlikoff's resignation. Board chair Anne Smalling said the vote "reflects the deep anger across our campus," but that the board fully supports Kotlikoff and his administration.

Doe's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, said he hopes the vote is a step toward addressing sexual assault on campus. New York Letitia James is leading a state investigation, and Cornell has hired Sally Yates for an independent review of its response.

Key figures
  • Seventy-five faculty senate members who voted for the resolution, per the co-sponsors — ABC News
  • More than 160 faculty members who expressed support for the resolution — Newsweek
  • seven fraternity members named in the lawsuit, all denying wrongdoing — The Guardian (US)

Three sides of the story

Liberal5 outlets

faculty demands for systemic change, Kotlikoff's admitted missteps

ABC News says the vote follows "the school's response to the alleged gang rape of a student," and it quotes the co-sponsors: "This vote is a reckoning for our University." It gives the co-sponsors' tally as 75 in favor, 5 against and 50 abstaining, and adds that five of the seven accused men want a judge to replace Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. The Independent leads with the vote and draws on an audio recording obtained by The Associated Press, in which Kotlikoff acknowledges missteps but defends his leadership.

It also cites a New York Times interview in which he admitted he never followed up on what happened to the woman. The Guardian and Yahoo News ran the Associated Press report, which calls the vote "a symbolic gesture" and gives board chair Anne Smalling's support for Kotlikoff. Yahoo's version quotes co-sponsor Iris Packman saying the vote is "only the beginning."

Center6 outlets

a symbolic rebuke and the board's answer

BBC News describes the vote as a rebuke of university leaders including Kotlikoff. It notes the senate cannot remove anyone while the board can, and says Cornell calls Doe's account of Kotlikoff's reaction "incorrect." It adds that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced state police would investigate future sexual offence complaints at the university.

UPI says the vote is symbolic but "adds pressure" on the administration. It quotes Hochul saying the woman's words "never made it into the account" sent to prosecutors. It gives the board's reply, in which Chair Anne Meinig Smalling says the board "remains confident" in Kotlikoff and his administration.

Newsweek leads with Cornell telling it the board remains "confident" in its administrators. It reports that more than 160 faculty members expressed support for the resolution and that students and faculty groups are calling for Kotlikoff's resignation. The Journal's headline says faculty "rebuke" the president, and it says the vote, though "largely symbolic," reflects dissatisfaction with the leadership's response.

Conservative2 outlets

a symbolic vote, and a board backing Kotlikoff

Just the News reports that the resolution passed "in a 56% to 37% vote with 7% abstaining." It says supporters hoped the vote would spur change, including replacing the current leader, and that the allegations have "overwhelmed the campus for weeks." The outlet notes that the Chi Phi chapter was kept off campus after the alleged incident, while no one allegedly involved faces criminal charges.

It cites NBC News saying the resolution will not directly affect leadership decisions. It quotes board chair Anne Smalling telling the New York Times that the board remains confident in Kotlikoff, and she points to the administration's record on federal funding, free speech and the COVID period. The New York Post ran the Associated Press report under a headline saying the gang rape case "drives campus discontent."

That report calls the vote a symbolic gesture and says all seven men deny the allegations, each saying either that the encounter was consensual or that he had no part in it.

What a side did not mention
Where outlets disagree
  • How the senators who did not vote yes split
All sources: 15 articles from 13 outlets

Liberal (5)

Center (7)

Conservative (3)

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