Cornell faculty vote to challenge university leadership over rape case handling

Electronic voting on a no-confidence resolution remains open at Cornell University through 6 November. The measure targets the administration's handling of a 2024 rape allegation involving a former student and at least seven men. Faculty members recently rejected a proposal to pause the vote until an independent investigation concludes.

The dispute stems from a complaint filed by a woman who was 20 years old in October 2024. She alleges she was drugged and repeatedly raped at the house of the Chi Phi fraternity, a chapter that has since closed. The seven accused men deny the allegations. New York prosecutors reopened the criminal case in September after the woman filed a civil lawsuit naming her alleged attackers.

A recording of Wednesday's closed-door faculty meeting, obtained by the Associated Press, captured emotional debates over the speed of institutional action. Some professors argued that past failures required an immediate response. Others insisted they needed more data before judging university leaders. The resolution itself is largely symbolic, but it may increase pressure on the trustees who select Cornell's leadership.

Criticism of the university's response intensified after details emerged that the internal investigation led to two expulsions. Other accused students received penalties including essays, workshops, and brief suspensions. In a recent letter to the faculty senate, the complainant said President Michael Kotlikoff left her feeling unsupported and disbelieved. A state judge granted her the right to use the pseudonym Jane Doe in her lawsuit to protect her safety. Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special counsel earlier in October.

During the meeting, faculty members shared personal accounts of harassment and feared professional retaliation for speaking publicly. Performing arts professor Beth Frances Milles, a Cornell graduate, urged her colleagues to remain civil. She reported receiving messages from women who had experienced sexual assault, including former classmates.

Resolution co-sponsor Anne Marie Brady, a contingent faculty member, said she was encouraged by the number of people who spoke despite the risks. "The more people who speak out, the more we protect each other," she told the AP. Music professor Ariana Kim described her own experience with bullying that affected her tenure case. She said attempts to get help from administrators, including Kotlikoff when he was provost, had gone nowhere. Economics professor Seth Sanders argued that about 80% of his department opposed the resolution for now, preferring to await the independent investigation.

The vote follows a Tuesday letter sent to trustees by 20 female science and engineering faculty members calling for Kotlikoff's resignation.