Members of Cornell University’s Faculty Senate on Friday issued a vote of no confidence in the administration’s ability to handle the response to an alleged sexual assault at a fraternity house in 2024, according to the university.
The governing body took up the issue after a former student, known as Jane Doe, claimed she was sexually assaulted and forced to take drugs at the Chi Phi fraternity house from Oct. 19 to 20, 2024. The allegations, detailed in a lawsuit filed by the woman in September, led to widespread criticism of the university and calls for reform from students and alumni.
The Senate resolution states that the agency “has no confidence in the ability of central administration to effectively respond to the ongoing sexual assault crisis at Cornell University.”
It does not recommend removals or suggest how to handle the fallout from the controversy. It passed 75-50, with five abstentions and five non-voting members, according to a copy of the results obtained by NBC News.
The vote will not directly affect the institution’s leadership decisions, including whether President Michael Kotlikoff will remain in office. The board of directors, which has the power to replace him, may consider the noted in his decisions but suggested in a statement Friday that no immediate changes were expected.
“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,” said President Anne Meinig Smalling.
Smalling highlighted recent changes implemented by leaders.
“They have already taken several important steps toward this end, including adding staff to Cornell’s Office for Civil Rights, expanding in-person sexual assault prevention education, and hiring more victim advocates,” Smalling said. “The administration will continue to build on this progress by launching additional initiatives in the weeks and months to come. »
Faculty senators who sponsored the resolution called the decision a “settling of scores” for the university.
“This is a call for real, systemic change; not a slow task force, a weakly enforced ban on fraternity parties, or expensive (public relations) damage control, but meaningful, evidence-based steps to reduce the incidence of sexual assault on campus and provide meaningful support and justice for survivors,” the sponsors wrote in a statement.
Jane Doe and her attorney alleged that Cornell failed to support her throughout the reporting process and subsequent investigation.
“We hope this is another step forward to educate and support the Cornell community in addressing the long-standing scourge of sexual assault on campus,” said Jane Doe’s attorney, Thomas Giuffra.
Jane Doe accused seven fraternity members of participating in a sexual assault, which she said began with a consensual threesome but culminated in unwanted sex and ketamine use.
All seven men charged in the incident deny the allegations. Two were expelled from the university following an internal civil rights proceeding, and others faced less severe sanctions from the school.
Tompkins County Prosecutor Matthew Van Houten said he declined to pursue a criminal case in November 2024, based on a six-page statement from Jane Doe.
New York Attorney General Letitia James was appointed last month by Gov. Kathy Hochul to investigate the matter and determine whether criminal charges are warranted. Two of the defendants have initiated legal proceedings seeking to disqualify James based on what they believe to be biased statements of support for Jane Doe that James posted on social media.
Several defendants on Thursday joined an Article 78 proceeding in Sullivan County that was recently filed by attorneys for one of the fraternity brothers, Gillio Lopes. Diego Sarabia, Scott Kretzschmar, Scott Norris and Winston Lee, who are co-defendants in Jane Doe’s trial, were added to the petition in support of Lopes’ request.
The two remaining defendants, Matthew Ingalls and Jonathan Newell, are unrepresented in the civil case and have not responded to Lopes’ attorneys.
On Wednesday, James announced the appointment of a former federal prosecutor to lead the investigation. That lawyer, Jacqueline Kelly, will lead a team led by James to conduct an independent investigation into the sexual assault allegations.
Lopes’ lawyers have argued in court papers that unless James recuses himself, the nomination does not change their position on whether a conflict exists. James said his office is fully capable of conducting an impartial, fact-based review.
James also said his comments were simply an expression of empathy for Jane Doe.
Lee’s attorney previously filed a separate motion in Tompkins County Supreme Court seeking to bar James from any grand jury proceedings, arguing she showed bias. A decision is expected on November 13.
In a virtual press conference after the vote Friday, the proposal’s lead sponsor, Paul Ortiz, said the idea came “after hearing from many current students, alumni, staff and faculty that the Jane Doe case was just the tip of the iceberg.”
“The courage of the survivors of past and present sexual assault at Cornell who shared their stories with us proved that no administration or administrator at this university could have ignored the chronic sexual assault crisis at Cornell,” said Ortiz, professor of labor history. “Not in the 1970s, not in the 2010s; certainly not now.”
Ortiz said he and other faculty members are planning an oral history project to highlight the stories of sexual assault survivors at Cornell.
Last month, Cornell’s president took questions from faculty and other university employees during a Senate meeting. At that Oct. 14 session, Kotlikoff pledged to reevaluate Greek life at the university and examine preventative measures to reduce the number of reported sexual assaults on campus.
The president said additional resources are being added to support victims when they come forward. That includes help navigating Cornell’s bureaucracy for students who file sexual assault complaints, Kotlikoff said.
Kotlikoff told faculty members that he did not know until recently that Jane Doe had dropped out of college after the incident.
Senators recently debated whether to delay the vote until after the university’s external review by former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who was tasked by the board of trustees with reviewing how the matter was handled.
A proposal to postpone the censorship decision was not adopted at the October 28 Senate meeting.
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