Cornell faculty issues vote of no confidence in university leadership

The Cornell University faculty senate passed Friday a resolution of no confidence in the school's central administration in light of the sexual assault allegations that have overwhelmed the campus for weeks.

The resolution, which was largely symbolic, passed in a 56% to 37% vote with 7% abstaining. Supporters of the resolution hoped it would spur change in how the university resolved the sexual assault allegations, including by replacing its current leader.

The scandal stems from a former female Cornell student, who filed a civil lawsuit as Jane Doe in September, alleging that she was drugged, assaulted and gang raped by seven members of the Ivy League school's Chi Phi fraternity in 2024.

Cornell’s Chi Phi chapter was barred from campus after the alleged incident, though none of the individuals allegedly involved faced criminal charges.

The scandal has spurred calls for reform at the university from students and alumni, but the resolution itself will not directly affect leadership decisions at the school, according to NBC News. 

The board of trustees, which has the authority to replace President Michael Kotlikoff, can consider the resolution in its future decisions, but the board has remained supportive of Kotlikoff so far.

“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,” Anne Smalling, chair of the board of trustees, told the New York Times. 

“This confidence is rooted not only in the administration’s actions to date and plans moving forward, but also in its track record of navigating complex problems, as it did in restoring federal funding, preserving free speech and leading the university through COVID,” she added.

All seven men accused in the incident deny the allegations. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.