ITHACA, United States – Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff is facing growing pressure from students and faculty over the university’s handling of a 2024 alleged sexual assault involving members of the Chi Phi fraternity.
Hundreds of students protested on Oct. 5, calling for Kotlikoff to resign or be removed. The controversy has now reached the Faculty Senate, where members have introduced a resolution seeking a vote of no confidence in the university administration.
The Senate is expected to consider the resolution on Oct. 14. About 40 senators had expressed support for bringing it forward, according to faculty senator Paul Ortiz. The Senate has more than 75 voting members.
Students demand changes
The protests center on Cornell’s response to allegations made by a woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe.
She alleges that several Chi Phi members sexually assaulted her at the fraternity house in October 2024 after she became incapacitated by alcohol and drugs.
The allegations remain contested. The men named in the civil lawsuit have denied wrongdoing or said the sexual activity was consensual. No criminal charges have been filed against them.
Students have demanded Kotlikoff’s resignation and called for changes to Cornell’s sexual-consent rules and disciplinary system.
Some protesters also want students accused in the case expelled or stripped of their degrees.
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Faculty considers no-confidence resolution
The Faculty Senate resolution marks a new phase in the controversy.
It would declare that the Senate has no confidence in the central administration’s ability to address sexual assault at Cornell.
The resolution has not been adopted. The University Faculty Committee is reviewing it before it goes to the full Senate.
A no-confidence vote would not automatically remove Kotlikoff. It would instead serve as a formal expression of dissatisfaction from the faculty and could increase pressure on his administration.
The move follows calls from students, alumni and staff for stronger faculty action over sexual assault and Cornell’s handling of the 2024 case.
Cornell conducted separate investigations
Cornell conducted a Title IX investigation after the allegations were reported to campus police.
The university says investigators gathered evidence and conducted interviews before imposing disciplinary measures against some students. Critics have questioned whether those measures were sufficient.
The university’s disciplinary process is separate from the criminal investigation.
Cornell police investigated the allegations and provided information to the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office, which initially declined to bring criminal charges.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul later appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. James’s office confirmed that it had taken over the criminal investigation into the alleged October 2024 assault.
James has said the investigation will be guided by the facts and the law.
Kotlikoff supports independent review
Kotlikoff has acknowledged the anger surrounding the case and said the allegations raise serious concerns about sexual assault, student safety and campus party culture.
He has backed an independent review of Cornell’s handling of the matter and supported transferring the criminal investigation to the state Attorney General’s Office.
Cornell has also faced demands for broader changes to its sexual-misconduct policies and its approach to Greek life.
The controversy has now put Kotlikoff’s leadership under scrutiny from both students and faculty.
A leadership test for Cornell
The dispute is no longer only about the events alleged to have occurred at the fraternity house in 2024.
It is also about how Cornell responded, whether its disciplinary process was adequate and whether the administration can restore confidence across the university.
The sexual-assault allegations remain subject to legal and institutional proceedings and should not be treated as established criminal findings.
The Faculty Senate’s planned consideration of a no-confidence resolution gives the controversy a new institutional dimension.
Kotlikoff remains president. The next major test will come when faculty members decide whether to formally withdraw confidence in his administration.
Reporting Credit: Cornell University; Cornell Faculty Senate; New York Attorney General’s Office; New York Governor’s Office; Cornell Police; Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office; civil court filings.
