Academic staff at Cornell University have passed a vote of no confidence in the university’s leadership over its handling of sexual assault, after a former student sued the Ivy League institution over her allegation that she was sexually assaulted by several men at a fraternity house in 2024.
The university’s Faculty Senate approved the resolution by 75 votes to 50 on Friday 6 November, with five senators abstaining and five not voting, PBS NewsHour reported. It declares that the senate “has no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault at Cornell University”. The vote is symbolic: the senate has no power to remove university leaders, and the resolution does not call for anyone to resign.
The case at the centre of the dispute was brought in September by a former student identified in court papers as Jane Doe. She is suing Cornell, the Chi Phi fraternity and seven former members over what she alleges happened at the fraternity’s house in October 2024, and over the way the university responded. All seven men deny wrongdoing, and none has been charged with a crime. The BBC reported that she has also accused Cornell’s president, Michael Kotlikoff, of asking why she waited several weeks to report the incident, an account the university says is “incorrect”.
The woman reported the alleged assault to campus police at the time, but the local district attorney declined to bring charges. The case has since been reopened and passed to New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James, whose office is investigating whether criminal charges are warranted. Separately, a months-long university disciplinary process led to two of the accused students being expelled and two suspended, according to PBS NewsHour.
Paul Ortiz, a professor who co-sponsored the resolution, said “the Jane Doe case is but a tip of the iceberg”. The Cornell chapter of the American Association of University Professors has gone further than the senate, calling for the resignation of Kotlikoff and other senior administrators, Finger Lakes 1 reported.
Cornell’s board of trustees, which does have the power to remove the president, said it “remains confident” in Kotlikoff and his team. Its chair, Anne Meinig Smalling, said the vote “reflects the deep anger across our campus and sends a clear signal that what happened to Jane Doe is unacceptable”. Kotlikoff has pledged to make Cornell a leader in tackling sexual assault and asked for more time, PBS NewsHour reported.
The university, which initially defended its disciplinary measures, has since acknowledged that it fell short in handling the case. Its trustees have commissioned an independent review led by Sally Yates, a former US deputy attorney general, covering reporting, discipline, support for survivors, campus policing and oversight of fraternities. Cornell has also suspended social events run by its fraternity council and says it is adding staff, prevention training and victim advocates.
The state has stepped in as well. New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, announced that state police will investigate future reports of sexual offences at Cornell, and the trustees say students who pursue criminal charges can choose between state police and the university’s own police force.
Doe’s lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, said he believed the Faculty Senate “did not reach this decision lightly”, and that he hoped the vote would be “another step forward” in addressing sexual assault on campus.
For students choosing a university in the United States, the case is a reminder that campus safety is worth researching as carefully as rankings or fees. Every US college that takes part in federal student aid programmes must publish an annual security report under the Clery Act, including crime statistics and its policies on sexual misconduct, and prospective students can ask universities directly how reports are handled and what support is available.
If you have been affected by sexual violence, your university’s support services or a local specialist organisation can help. In the US, RAINN offers a free, confidential helpline on 800-656-4673.
Sources: BBC News, 6 November 2026; PBS NewsHour, 6 November 2026; Finger Lakes 1, 8 November 2026; Newsweek, November 2026; US Department of Education. Checked on 9 November 2026.