Cornell Faculty Senate Votes No Confidence in Administration Over Assault Handling

Cornell’s Faculty Senate voted 75-50, with five abstentions and five members not voting, to declare no confidence in the central administration’s ability to address sexual assault on campus. The symbolic rebuke follows a former student’s lawsuit alleging she was drugged and sexually assaulted by members of the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024, as well as weeks of criticism of President Michael Kotlikoff and university leaders. The seven men named in the lawsuit deny wrongdoing; Cornell imposed varying disciplinary sanctions on several, and no criminal charges have been filed. New York Attorney General Letitia James is overseeing a reopened criminal investigation, while former acting attorney general Sally Yates is conducting an independent review of Cornell’s policies and procedures. The vote does not compel leadership changes, which are the authority of Cornell’s Board of Trustees.