Cornell faculty to move forward with no-confidence vote over handling of sexual assault allegations

Cornell University faculty debated Wednesday over whether they had enough information to pass judgment on the school’s leadership over its handling of a woman’s report that she was gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024, with some professors urging patience and others arguing that years of institutional failures demanded action.

The discussion unfolded during a Faculty Senate meeting closed to the media, according to a recording obtained by The Associated Press. Faculty members are now moving forward with an electronic vote on a proposed no-confidence resolution in the university’s administration, with voting set to conclude Nov. 6.

A no-confidence vote would be largely symbolic, but it could send a message to the university’s trustees, who ultimately decide who leads it.

The debate was at times personal, with faculty members describing fears of retaliation, sharing experiences of harassment and acknowledging their nervousness about speaking publicly.

Beth Frances Milles, an associate professor of performing arts who is also a Cornell graduate and parent, made an emotional plea for civility, describing messages from women who had experienced sexual assault, including former college classmates.

“I understand we have to take action,” she said. “There are so many things to talk about. Please, let’s talk about it together and not sneer at each other when we disagree.”

After at least an hour of debate, members voted down an attempt to delay voting on the resolution until an independent investigation into Cornell's handling of the sexual assault allegations is completed.

Faculty divided over whether to act now

Anne Marie Brady, a Faculty Senate member who co-sponsored the no-confidence resolution, said she was encouraged and particularly struck by the breadth of faculty who spoke. Some expressed fears of retaliation, she said, while contingent faculty like herself risked professional consequences for speaking publicly.

“The more people who speak out, the more we protect each other,” Brady said in a phone interview after the meeting.

During the meeting, economics professor Seth Sanders acknowledged that sexual assault was a serious problem on campus but argued that faculty needed more information before passing judgment on the administration. He said about 80% of faculty in his department opposed the no-confidence resolution for now, with many wanting to await the independent investigation

“I don’t think setting it up as having confidence in the administration or supporting the administration is right,” Sanders said. “I think it’s legitimate to think that you don’t know whether to have confidence because you don’t know what happened or why in the Jane Doe case.”

Inna Zakharevich, an associate professor of mathematics, also supported postponement, arguing that a declaration of no confidence needed to be “airtight to read as an indictment,” with specific examples of what the administration had done wrong.

Jennifer Colt, a Faculty Senate representative for the university library, opposed waiting to vote. “This motion asks the Senate to become bystanders,” she said. “It asks us to stand by and do nothing.”

The resolution was introduced at an Oct. 14 meeting when angry members confronted Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff about the university’s handling of the allegations.

Some female faculty members demand president's resignation

Wednesday’s meeting came a day after 20 female science and engineering faculty members called on Kotlikoff to resign in a letter to Cornell’s trustees obtained by AP.

“What our community needed was clear leadership; instead, it faced a leadership vacuum,” the professors wrote.

The proposed resolution expresses no confidence in Cornell’s administration over its response to sexual assault on campus but does not explicitly call for Kotlikoff’s resignation.

Faculty Sen. Noah Tamarkin, an anthropology professor and co-sponsor of the resolution, said it was intended to pressure university leaders to change how sexual assault is addressed and to give faculty and students a greater role in decision-making, not necessarily force anyone from office.

Materials science and engineering Professor Lara Estroff, one of the signatories of the letter, said she opposed delaying the vote. But she also criticized the resolution itself, saying its reference to the university’s administration was too vague and that she preferred the letter’s explicit call for Kotlikoff to resign.

“I wouldn’t vote for the resolution as it is worded,” said Estroff, who is not a Faculty Senate member.

Cornell faces scrutiny over handling of rape allegations

A woman identified in court documents by the pseudonym Jane Doe filed a lawsuit last month alleging that seven Chi Phi fraternity members sexually assaulted or exploited her in October 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. All seven men have denied her allegations.

The criminal investigation by Cornell’s police department stalled after the district attorney declined to pursue charges. In a New York Times interview, Kotlikoff said he never followed up to learn what had happened to the woman or the investigation.

At an Oct. 14 Faculty Senate meeting, Kotlikoff acknowledged some missteps but defended his leadership and asked for more time to reform student social life, according to a recording obtained by the AP.