"Inadequate Response to Alleged Gang Rape"... Cornell Faculty Pass No-Confidence Vote in President

Related to 2024 fraternity sexual assault allegations
More than half voted in favor... Board reaffirms support for president
No-confidence resolution does not remove president from office

Faculty members at prestigious Ivy League institution Cornell University have passed a vote of no confidence in the president and university administration over the school’s handling of an alleged sexual assault on campus. The move followed criticism that the university failed to respond appropriately to a report by a former student who alleged she was assaulted and to the subsequent handling of the case.

The Associated Press and other U.S. media outlets reported on November 6 local time that Cornell’s Faculty Senate had approved a vote of no confidence in President Michael Kotlikoff and the university’s central administration. The vote was 75 in favor and 50 opposed, with five abstentions and five members not voting. The 75 votes in favor represented 55.6% of the Faculty Senate’s 135 members.

The resolution concerns allegations of sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell in Ithaca, New York, in October 2024. A woman who was then a student alleged that seven male students drugged and gang-raped her. In September, she filed a civil lawsuit against the university and the male students involved, criticizing the school for failing to handle the case properly.

Protests on campus over a gang rape case at Cornell University in 2024. Yonhap News Agency

The woman is identified in court filings by the pseudonym Jane Doe. She alleged that she was given ketamine at the time of the incident and that, although the sexual encounter was initially consensual, unwanted sexual acts followed. The seven defendants denied the allegations, arguing that the sexual activity was consensual or that they were not involved in the incident.

The university conducted its own civil rights investigation and imposed disciplinary measures on those involved. Two students were expelled, and two others were suspended or placed on probation. Two more were required to write reflective essays and complete bystander intervention training on sexual assault. The remaining individual, who had already graduated, was barred from campus.

Faculty members, however, concluded that the university’s response was inadequate. Critics said the university had been passive in protecting the complainant and providing follow-up support during its handling of the sexual assault report, and that it had failed to take sufficient structural measures to reform campus fraternity culture.

Responding to the faculty’s criticism, President Kotlikoff said the university was taking steps to make improvements, including expanding sexual assault prevention education and increasing staffing for victim support. He also said the university would review fraternity operations and campus drinking and party culture. He explained that, under internal rules designed to prevent senior university administrators from interfering in criminal investigations, he had not personally reviewed police reports.

The university’s Board of Trustees reaffirmed its support for the president even after the no-confidence resolution passed. In a statement, board chair Anne Smalling acknowledged that the vote reflected anger on campus, while maintaining that President Kotlikoff and the administration were the right people to address the problems. The university is also conducting an independent investigation led by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.

The no-confidence resolution does not directly call for the president’s removal. Cornell’s Board of Trustees has the authority to appoint and dismiss the university president, so the Faculty Senate vote alone will not determine his future. Still, with a majority of faculty members having formally expressed their distrust of the current administration, calls for reform of the university’s sexual assault response system and organizational culture are expected to grow.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.