Cornell Faculty Senate Passes No-Confidence Resolution Over Handling of Misconduct Cases

Cornell University's faculty senate on Friday, November 6, passed a resolution declaring no confidence in the school's top leaders, by a vote of 75 to 50. The Guardian reported that five senators abstained and five did not vote.

Voting was conducted electronically over more than a week, and the results were released on Friday. The resolution, a formal statement that the body does not trust its leaders, did not call for President Michael Kotlikoff to resign. According to NBC News, the resolution says the senate "has no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing"

The vote followed debate over whether Kotlikoff and other administrators properly handled sexual misconduct allegations. The faculty senate had discussed the proposed resolution at its meetings on October 14 and October 28.

Cornell's Board of Trustees published its response to the vote on November 6. Board chair Anne Smalling said the board fully supports Kotlikoff and his administration. The board reported the vote as 55.6 percent in favor, 37 percent against and 7.4 percent abstaining, according to its statement.

The underlying dispute centres on a lawsuit filed in mid-September by a former Cornell student. She named the university and seven former members of the Chi Phi fraternity as defendants, alleging she was given ketamine, a sedative drug, and raped at a fraternity house in October 2024. All seven former members have denied the allegations, saying the sex was consensual or that they were not involved.

Criminal handling of the case has also changed course. The local district attorney, the prosecutor responsible for criminal cases in the area, initially decided the accuser had consented and that no crime had been committed. The investigation was later reopened and handed to New York's attorney general.

Cornell conducted its own investigation under Title IX, the federal law covering sex discrimination in education. The university expelled two accused students, suspended two others and placed them on probation, and required two to write reflection papers and complete bystander training, which teaches people how to intervene when they see harm. A seventh accused student, who had already graduated, was barred from campus.

Kotlikoff also convened a taskforce to study sexual misconduct on campus, and the group has released its recommendations.