Cornell Faculty Reject Delay in No-Confidence Vote Over 2024 Fraternity Rape

Cornell University faculty members on Wednesday rejected a proposal to pause a no-confidence vote regarding campus leadership. The decision forces the university to proceed with an electronic ballot that runs through November 6. The vote centers on how the administration handled a 2024 gang-rape allegation involving a student and seven men associated with a now-closed fraternity.

The electronic vote is largely symbolic, but it carries the potential to pressure the university trustees who appoint executive leadership. Faculty discussed the issue at a closed-door meeting that The Associated Press reported was emotional. Some members argued for patience, while others contended that years of institutional failures demanded immediate accountability.

The dispute follows a New York state prosecutor's decision last month to reopen the criminal case. The victim, a 20-year-old student at the time, filed a civil lawsuit against the alleged attackers after leaving the university. She recently told the faculty senate that she felt unsupported and disbelieved by President Michael Kotlikoff. In a separate ruling over the weekend, a state judge allowed her to continue using the pseudonym Jane Doe in the lawsuit due to safety concerns.

During the Wednesday meeting, Beth Frances Milles, a performing arts professor and Cornell graduate, urged her colleagues to maintain civility. She described receiving messages from women who had experienced sexual assault, including former classmates. “I understand we have to take action,” Milles said. “There are so many things to talk about. Please, let’s talk about it together and not sneer at each other when we disagree.”

Anne Marie Brady, a co-sponsor of the resolution, expressed encouragement at the number of faculty who spoke despite professional risks. As a contingent faculty member, she noted that public statements carry career implications. “The more people who speak out, the more we protect each other,” Brady said in a phone interview after the session.

Ariana Kim, a music professor, shared her own history of sexual harassment and bullying. She explained that the misconduct impacted her tenure case and that previous attempts to seek help from administrators, including Kotlikoff when he was provost, failed to produce results. “It’s hard to get up and do that on a number of levels,” Kim said, describing a mix of relief and pride in speaking publicly.

Seth Sanders, an economics professor, offered a dissenting view. He stated that his department is approximately 80 percent opposed to the resolution for the time being. Many in his field are waiting for an independent investigation to conclude before judging the administration's response. “I don’t think setting it up as having confidence in the administration or supporting the administration is right,” Sanders said. “I think it’s legitimate to think that you don’t know whether to have confidence because you don’t know what happened or why in the Jane Doe case.”

The Wednesday gathering occurred one day after 20 female faculty members in science and engineering sent a letter to trustees calling for Kotlikoff to resign. The victim alleges she was drugged and repeatedly raped in October 2024 at a house belonging to Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity. All seven alleged attackers deny the claims. New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special counsel to investigate the case earlier this month.