Members of Cornell University’s faculty senate have voted no confidence in the administration’s handling of an alleged sexual assault at a fraternity house in 2024.
According to an NBC News report published on Friday, November 6, the vote was issued after a former student, identified as Jane Doe, alleged she was sexually assaulted and forced to take drugs at the Chi Phi fraternity house from October 19 to 20, 2024.
The allegations, outlined in a lawsuit filed by the woman in September, sparked public outrage and criticism of the university, with students and alumni calling for reforms.
The senate’s resolution declared that it “has no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University.”
The motion passed 75-50, with five abstentions and five members not voting, according to results obtained by NBC News.
However, the vote does not carry any direct authority over university leadership decisions, including the future of President Michael Kotlikoff. The university’s board of trustees has the power to remove him but indicated on Friday that it remained supportive of his leadership.
“The Board of Trustees remains confident that President Kotlikoff and his administration are the right leaders to thoughtfully and comprehensively address the serious problem of sexual assault on our campus,” board chair Anne Meinig Smalling said in a statement.
In September, Jane Doe filed a lawsuit over events that allegedly took place at the school’s Chi Phi fraternity house on October 19, 2024. Per Doe, she claimed she visited the frat house alone after a night of drinking and was pressured to snort ketamine, smoke marijuana and drink alcohol.
Doe alleged that the incident started as a consensual encounter with two fraternity brothers, though the situation quickly spiraled after a message on the frat’s Snapchat group chat advertised that there was “free p****.”
Two of the seven Chi Phi members allegedly implicated in the attack were expelled while others were given far less severe punishments, like writing essays or taking part in workshops. No criminal charges were filed when Doe went to police with her story weeks later. (Doe eventually dropped out of Cornell University.)
Cornell University president Kotlikoff spoke out about the allegations in a video statement in October.
“What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come,” Kotlikoff, 74, said at the time. “My heart aches when I think of what she experienced.”
The Cornell official acknowledged that the case “raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use.”
“It also raises questions around the investigation conducted after the allegations were reported,” he added.
