Cornell Faculty Senate Passes No-Confidence Vote Over Alleged Assault Handling

Cornell University's Faculty Senate approved a no-confidence resolution Friday in the school's central administration. The resolution concerns how leaders have handled sexual assault on campus.

75 senators voted yes, 50 voted no, and five abstained.
Faculty voted electronically from Oct. 29 through Nov. 6.
18 faculty senators and 165 faculty members backed the measure.
The resolution did not call for Kotlikoff to resign.

Why it matters: The Faculty Senate cannot remove administrators; only the Board of Trustees can. Supporters said they hoped the vote would push trustees to act.

Trustees chair Anne Meinig Smalling said the board remains confident in Kotlikoff's leadership.
Some students and faculty groups have called for Kotlikoff's resignation.

The story so far

2 steps · since Nov 6

Nov 6Cornell Faculty Senate Passes No-Confidence Vote Over Alleged Assault HandlingYou are here
Nov 9Cornell Accused of Ignoring Alleged Sexual Assault Reports6 sourcesLatest

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29 sources · 32 articles · 48% Center coverage

Where they split: Faculty disagreed over whether to judge the administration now or wait for the Yates review's findings.

Center coverage, 14 sources: The center frames the vote as a symbolic blow to an embattled president under mounting criticism.

USA Today3dCornell faculty approve no-confidence vote in school leaders Yahoo News3dCornell faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in university leadership after alleged fraternity gang rape Associated Press3dCornell faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in university leadership after alleged fraternity gang rape BBC News3dCornell faculty pass no confidence vote over leadership's handling of Jane Doe allegations CTV News3dCornell faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in university leadership after alleged gang rape Deutsche Welle3dCornell faculty declares 'no confidence' in university leadership after alleged fraternity gang rape Jerusalem Post3dCornell faculty declares no confidence in university leaders over handling of sexual abuse case Newsweek3dCornell Approves No-Confidence Vote Amid Sexual Assault Controversy PBS NewsHour3dCornell faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in university leadership after alleged fraternity gang rape Sky News3dCornell faculty vote 'no confidence' in university leadership after alleged gang rape The Hill3dCornell Faculty Senate passes no-confidence vote over Jane Doe case, but Board of Trustees backs president The National Desk3dCornell faculty Senate declares 'no confidence' in President Kotlikoff amid rape case WGAL 83dCornell faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in university leadership WPXI Pittsburgh3dCornell faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in university leadership after alleged fraternity gang rape

Left coverage, 10 sources: The left frames the vote as a rebuke of leadership tied to the alleged fraternity gang rape and institutional failures.

The Independent3dCornell faculty declare no confidence in leaders over Jane Doe sexual assault lawsuit CNN3dCornell Faculty Senate approves no-confidence resolution over university’s handling of sexual assault crisis ABC News3dCornell faculty senate to release result of no-confidence vote CBS News3dCornell's Faculty Senate votes "no confidence" in the university's administration Los Angeles Times3dCornell faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in university leadership after alleged fraternity gang rape NBC News3dCornell faculty senate issues no confidence vote on administration’s handling of sexual assault The Boston Globe3dCornell faculty vote ‘no confidence’ in university leadership The Guardian3dCornell faculty declares ‘no confidence’ in school leaders in fallout from alleged gang-rape The New York Times3dCornell Faculty Passes Vote of No Confidence in Administration The Washington Post3dCornell faculty senate votes no confidence in university leadership

Right5 sources

Daily Mail3dCornell faculty pass motion of no confidence in president and leadership over Jane Doe gang rape scandal, as it's revealed frat house failed to hire monitor who could have prevented incident Just the News4dCornell faculty issues vote of no confidence in university leadership New York Post3dCornell faculty declare 'no confidence' in school's leadership as gang rape case drives campus discontent Newsmax3dCornell Faculty Votes No Confidence in University Leaders The Washington Times3dCornell faculty pass vote of no confidence in administration following campus rape scandal

What’s next: Sally Yates is reviewing Cornell's 2024 response and its procedures for similar reports. Senators rejected a motion to delay the vote until her review is done.

Five accused men are asking a judge to replace James as special prosecutor.
James named former federal prosecutor Jacqueline Kelly to lead the criminal case.
What will the Yates review conclude about Cornell's handling of the 2024 report?
Will Cornell restrict or end fraternity life, as Kotlikoff said was possible?
Will a judge remove James from the criminal investigation?