Cornell faculty senate votes no-confidence in school's leadership
In the aftermath of allegations by a former Cornell University student that she was gang raped in 2024 by several members of a school fraternity, the university's faculty senate passed a no-confidence resolution Friday condemning the school's handling of sexual violence on campus.
"This vote is a reckoning for our University," the co-sponsors of the measure said in a statement. "It is a call for real, systemic change; not a slow-moving taskforce, weakly enforced ban on fraternity parties, or expensive PR damage control, but meaningful, evidence-based steps to reduce the incidence of sexual assault on campus and provide significant support to and justice for survivors."
The resolution reads, "Resolved: That 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."
Seventy-five members of the faculty senate voted in favor of the resolution, 50 voted against it, 5 abstained from the vote, and 5 did not vote, according to the resolution co-sponsors.
The passing of the resolution represents the clearest rebuke of the school's leadership since the controversy over the school's response to the allegations began, though the faculty senate does not have the authority to force any changes.
"We know that by voting no confidence, we have built the momentum to fight for the kind of changes that we do need to see," faculty senator Iris Packman said during a press conference Friday afternoon.
In a statement, board chair Anne Smalling, speaking on behalf of the school's board of trustees, said, "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. There is no place for sexual violence on the Cornell campus. We support President [Michael] Kotlikoff’s commitment to taking all necessary steps to ensure students are safe on campus and working together as a community to help prevent this from happening again."
A then-undergraduate student identified only as Jane Doe made a complaint to campus police in November 2024, three weeks after the alleged incident occurred, that she had been raped by a group of men at the Chi Phi fraternity house. She has filed a civil suit against the men and the university alleging that she had been drugged and raped.
"We believe that the Faculty Senate did not reach this decision lightly and considered all available information," Jane Doe said in a statement regarding the no-confidence 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."
New York Attorney General Letitia James is conducting an investigation into the incident, and Cornell is also conducting an internal probe of its response to the allegations.
All seven fraternity brothers named in the civil lawsuit have denied wrongdoing and no criminal charges have been filed in the case.
Friday's no-confidence vote came as four men named in Jane Doe's lawsuit joined the legal push to have James removed from the criminal probe.
In total, five of the seven men accused in the lawsuit say they want a judge to replace James as special prosecutor, arguing that a social media post she made in which she said of Jane Doe, "I'm holding her in my heart and in my prayers ... you're not alone. We stand with you" demonstrates "actual or perceived conflicts of interest or bias."
The group is continuing the legal fight despite news this week that James appointed Jacqueline Kelly, a former sex crimes federal prosecutor, to lead the matter and report to her office. The group argued that "while the appointment of Ms. Kelly changes the face of the investigation, it does not establish any change in ultimate authority."
"[The] appointment does not eliminate Petitioner's underlying concerns about Attorney James conducting a fair investigation," attorney Andrew Miltenberg wrote in a court filing. "The announcement does not state that Attorney General James has in fact recused herself, relinquished supervisory authority, surrendered charging authority, or agreed not to participate in decisions concerning Petitioner."
