Cornell faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in university leadership after
alleged fraternity gang rape
[November 07, 2026]
By LEAH WILLINGHAM
Cornell University's Faculty Senate approved a resolution Friday
declaring “no confidence” in the school's top leaders, a symbolic
gesture reflecting deep discontent on campus in the wake of a former
student's lawsuit saying she was gang raped at a fraternity party in
2024.
The resolution passed 75-50, with five faculty senators abstaining and
five others not voting, according to an email sent to Faculty Senate
members on Friday afternoon.
The vote followed weeks of debate among professors over whether Cornell
President Michael Kotlikoff and other administrators handled the woman’s
allegations properly and have done enough to curtail sexual misconduct
at the prestigious university.
While the faculty body has no power over the university's top leaders,
backers of the resolution had said they hoped it would pressure
Cornell's trustees to address longstanding institutional failures they
identified.
Board of Trustees Chair Anne Smalling said in a statement the faculty
vote “reflects the deep anger across our campus” and sent a clear signal
that what happened to the woman was unacceptable, but added that
Kotlikoff and his administration were the right leaders to “thoughtfully
and comprehensively” address the issue.
Thomas Giuffra, an attorney for the woman who filed the lawsuit, said in
a statement Friday that “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.”
Lawsuit sparked outrage on campus
The Cornell community has been distressed since mid-September, when a
former student, identified only by the pseudonym Jane Doe in court
documents, filed a lawsuit against the university and seven former
members of the Chi Phi fraternity, saying she was given ketamine and
raped at a fraternity house in October 2024.
All of the men have denied her allegations, saying the sex was
consensual or that they weren’t involved. The local district attorney
initially decided the woman had consented to the encounter and that no
crime had been committed, but the investigation has since been reopened
and handed to New York’s attorney general.
Cornell disciplined several of the accused students following a
monthslong Title IX investigation. Two were expelled, two received
suspensions and probation, and two were required to write “reflection”
papers and complete bystander training. A seventh man had already
graduated and was barred from campus, according to records obtained by
The New York Times.
Kotlikoff also convened a task force to study the problem of sexual
misconduct on campus, which released certain recommendations.
Some faculty members have criticized Kotlikoff for not acting more
forcefully to strengthen the school's disciplinary process, push for
criminal investigations and change campus party culture.
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Paul Ortiz, a labor history professor who co-sponsored the
no-confidence resolution, said last week that hundreds of students,
staff, alumni and faculty approached the resolution’s sponsors to
emphasize that “the Jane Doe case is but a tip of the iceberg” and
that “a veritable fortress of silence has been breached” around
sexual violence since the resolution’s introduction.
Cornell's president defended his leadership
Speaking to Faculty Senate members on the first day that they
debated the no-confidence resolution, Kotlikoff pledged to make the
university a leader in addressing sexual assault and asked for more
time to make changes.
Kotlikoff defended his leadership, arguing that replacing him would
do little to solve complex problems and could damage Cornell’s
reputation. He acknowledged he had not read the campus police
report, explaining that university policy barred top administrators
from interfering in criminal investigations. He also rejected
suggestions he had been indifferent to the woman’s case, though he
acknowledged only recently learning she had left Cornell.
Kotlikoff said the university needed to determine whether
fraternities could operate safely and left open the possibility of
sweeping restrictions on Greek life. He argued that decisions should
be based on research and evidence rather than emotion.
Some professors had said faculty should wait to vote until the
release of an independent investigation by former U.S. Deputy
Attorney General Sally Yates, whom the university hired to examine
how Cornell responded to the woman's initial rape report in 2024 and
its overall procedures for handling similar reports from other
students.
Yasmeen Masoud, a Cornell junior who spoke Friday at a news
conference organized by the resolution’s sponsors, called the vote
encouraging for students frustrated with the university’s response.
“We should not have to beg for answers, demand basic transparency or
generate media attention just to get our concerns acknowledged,” she
said. “It reminds us that there are people across this university
who care deeply about its future and are willing to stand together
to demand a better Cornell.”
Iris Packman, a co-sponsor of the no-confidence resolution, said
Friday that the vote was “only the beginning” and that faculty would
push for sweeping reforms.
The no-confidence resolution did not call for Kotlikoff’s
resignation.
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