Cornell Faculty Senate approves no-confidence resolution over university’s handling of sexual assault crisis

By Gloria Pazmino, Jeff Winter, CNN

(CNN) — 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.

Faculty sponsors of the resolution for a vote of no confidence issued a joint statement following the vote, saying the group wants to use their voice to “bring about real change.”

“Despite the administration’s repeated attempts to silence us, the faculty have come together to express our discontent and to demand that Cornell do better. We are speaking up for our students, colleagues, staff and alumni who have called on us to hold the administration accountable,” the statement reads. “From addressing the root causes of rape culture on campus to calling out the ways Title IX has been weaponized against survivors, we will use our collective voice to bring about real change.”

The resolution passed by a slim margin, with 55.6% voting in favor and 37% voting against, according to the posted results. Resolutions need a simple majority of 51% to pass. Ten members abstained or didn’t vote, according to the results.

Members of the faculty, including members of the Senate, held a news conference after the vote, explaining that each of the 75 votes expressing no confidence in the school administration was representative of hundreds of staff and faculty. David Bateman, a professor of government and president of the Cornell chapter of the American Association of University Professors, described the vote as the highest turnout in recent memory.

“What is really striking about this vote is that all senators, as far as I can tell, really sought out the views of their constituencies. They had hard conversations,” Bateman said. “They represent constituencies, and we should understand this vote as the voice of the vast majority of faculty.”

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.

“We believe that the Faculty Senate did not reach this decision lightly and considered all available information,” Thomas Giuffra, the attorney representing Doe said in a statement after the vote. “We are hopeful that this will be yet another step forward to educate and support the Cornell community by addressing the longstanding scourge of sexual assault on campus.”

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 story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Pamela Brown contributed to this report.