Cornell faculty declare no confidence in schools leadership as gang rape case drives campus discontent

Cornell University’s Faculty Senate approved a resolution Friday declaring “no confidence” in the school’s top leaders, a symbolic gesture reflecting deep discontent on campus in the wake of a former student’s lawsuit saying she was gang raped at a fraternity party in 2024.The resolution passed 75-50, with five faculty senators abstaining and five others not voting, according to an email sent to Faculty Senate members on Friday afternoon.The vote followed weeks of debate among professors over whether Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and other administrators handled the woman’s allegations properly and have done enough to curtail sexual misconduct at the prestigious university.While the faculty body has no power over the university’s top leaders, backers of the resolution had said they hoped it would pressure Cornell’s trustees to address longstanding institutional failures they identified.The board of trustees said Friday that the vote reflected deep anger on campus and sent a “clear signal that what happened to Jane Doe is unacceptable,” but added that Kotlikoff and his administration were the right leaders to “thoughtfully and comprehensively” address the issue.“The Board fully supports President Kotlikoff and his administration as they continue to listen and act decisively in support of students,” board chair Anne Smalling said in a statement.She cited expanded sexual assault prevention education, additional victim advocates and more staff at the university’s Office of Civil Rights as evidence of the administration’s response.Thomas Giuffra, Jane Doe’s attorney, said in a statement Friday that “we are hopeful that this will be yet another step forward to educate and support the Cornell community by addressing the longstanding scourge of sexual assault on campus.”Lawsuit sparked outrage on campusThe Cornell community has been distressed since mid-September, when a former student filed a lawsuit against the university and s...