By Fatma Younis
Cornell University faculty are moving forward with a no-confidence vote against campus leadership over its handling of a gang-rape scandal involving students at a now-closed fraternity. Professors held an emotional meeting Wednesday to debate the administration's response to a woman's 2024 report that she was raped by at least seven male students at the Chi Phi fraternity house.
Faculty Meeting Reveals Deep Divisions
A recording of the closed-door session, obtained by the Associated Press, showed some faculty urging patience and seeking to delay the vote, while others argued that years of institutional failures demanded immediate action. The electronic vote on the no-confidence resolution runs through November 6. Though largely symbolic, the measure could pressure university trustees who select Cornell's leadership.
Case Prompts Legal and Political Action
New York prosecutors reopened the criminal case last month after the woman, then a 20-year-old student who said she was forced to leave the university, filed a civil lawsuit naming her alleged attackers. The university's initial inquiry resulted in only two expulsions; other accused students were ordered to write essays, attend workshops, or serve short suspensions. The woman recently wrote to the faculty senate saying she felt "unsupported and disbelieved" by Cornell's president.
A New York state judge ruled she may continue using the pseudonym Jane Doe in the ongoing lawsuit, citing safety concerns. Governor Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special counsel to investigate the case.
Professors Share Personal Experiences
During Wednesday's meeting, performing arts professor Beth Frances Milles pleaded for civility after describing messages from women who experienced sexual assault. Resolution co-sponsor Anne Marie Brady, a contingent faculty member, said speaking publicly carried professional risks but that "the more people who speak out, the more we protect each other." Music professor Ariana Kim shared her own experience of sexual harassment and bullying, describing how it affected her tenure case and how appeals to administrators, including President Michael Kotlikoff when he was provost, went nowhere.
Opposition Calls for Independent Investigation First
Economics professor Seth Sanders acknowledged sexual assault as a serious problem but said faculty lacked sufficient information to judge the administration's response. He said about 80% of his department opposed the resolution pending an independent investigation. Faculty voted down an attempt to delay voting until such an investigation was completed.
Calls for President's Resignation
The meeting came a day after 20 female science and engineering faculty members called on Kotlikoff to resign in a letter to trustees. The woman in the case alleges she was drugged and repeatedly raped in October 2024 at the Chi Phi fraternity house. All seven alleged attackers deny the claims.
