Cornell University faculty debated Wednesday over whether they had enough information to pass judgment on the school’s leadership over its handling of a woman’s report that she was gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024, with some professors urging patience and others arguing that years of institutional failures demanded action.
The discussion unfolded during a Faculty Senate meeting closed to the media, according to a recording obtained by The Associated Press. Faculty will now vote electronically on a proposed no-confidence resolution in Cornell’s administration through Nov. 6. The largely symbolic vote could pressure university trustees, who choose its leadership.
Some faculty struggled with the decision to speak publicly, sharing painful experiences of harassment and fears of professional retaliation.
Beth Frances Milles, a performing arts professor, Cornell graduate and parent, pleaded for civility after describing receiving messages from women who experienced sexual assault, including former classmates.
“I understand we have to take action,” she 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.”
After at least an hour of debate, members voted down an attempt to delay voting on the resolution until an independent investigation into Cornell's handling of the sexual assault allegations is completed.
Faculty divided over whether to act now
Resolution co-sponsor Anne Marie Brady said she was encouraged by the breadth of faculty who spoke, despite fears of retaliation. As a contingent faculty member, she said, speaking publicly carried professional risks.
“The more people who speak out, the more we protect each other,” Brady said in a phone interview after the meeting.
Music professor Ariana Kim said she unexpectedly found herself sharing her own experience of sexual harassment and bullying after hearing suggestions that faculty did not do enough to address such misconduct. She described how the harassment affected her tenure case and how her efforts to get help from administrators, including President Michael Kotlikoff when he was provost, went nowhere.
“It’s hard to get up and do that on a number of levels,” Kim said afterwards, describing a sense of relief and pride that she had spoken.
During the meeting, economics professor Seth Sanders agreed that sexual assault was a serious problem at Cornell but said faculty do not yet know enough to judge the administration’s response. He said about 80% of his department opposed the resolution for now, with many awaiting the independent investigation.
“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.”
Inna Zakharevich, an associate professor of mathematics, also supported postponement, arguing that a declaration of no confidence needed to be “airtight to read as an indictment,” with specific examples of what the administration had done wrong.
Jennifer Colt, a Faculty Senate representative for the university library, opposed waiting to vote. “This motion asks the Senate to become bystanders,” she said. “It asks us to stand by and do nothing.”
The resolution was introduced at an Oct. 14 meeting when members confronted Kotlikoff about the allegations.
Some female faculty members demand president's resignation
Wednesday’s meeting came a day after 20 female science and engineering faculty members called on Kotlikoff to resign in a letter to trustees that was obtained by AP.
“What our community needed was clear leadership; instead, it faced a leadership vacuum,” the professors wrote.
The proposed resolution expresses no confidence in Cornell’s administration over its response to sexual assault on campus but does not explicitly call for Kotlikoff’s resignation.
Resolution co-sponsor Noah Tamarkin, an anthropology professor, said the goal was to change Cornell’s approach to sexual assault and give faculty and students more say in decisions, not necessarily force anyone from office.
Lara Estroff, a materials science and engineering professor who signed the letter, opposed delaying the vote but said the resolution was too vague. She preferred the letter’s explicit call for Kotlikoff to resign.
“I wouldn’t vote for the resolution as it is worded,” said Estroff, who is not a Faculty Senate member.
Cornell faces scrutiny over handling of rape allegations
A woman identified in court documents by the pseudonym Jane Doe filed a lawsuit last month alleging that seven Chi Phi fraternity members sexually assaulted or exploited her in October 2024 and that Cornell mishandled her complaints. All seven men have denied her allegations.
The district attorney declined to pursue charges following a Cornell police investigation. Kotlikoff told The New York Times he never followed up on the woman’s case.
At the Oct. 14 Faculty Senate meeting, Kotlikoff acknowledged some missteps but defended his leadership and asked for more time to reform student social life, according to a recording obtained by the AP.
