Cornell University faculty are one step closer to voting on whether to issue a resolution of no confidence against university administration over their handling of the alleged 2024 gang rape of a student.
Faculty sparred in a heated debate over whether to condemn the school’s administration for its handling of the case. Though divided over the resolution, the Faculty Senate agreed on Wednesday to move the issue to a vote.
For weeks, a body of professors and staff at the Ivy League school have debated whether to issue a vote of no confidence in the ability of Cornell’s president, Michael Kotlikoff, and top officials to address sexual assault on campus.
Some faculty senators, one of whom called a vote of no confidence a “toothless, meaningless resolution,” attempted to stall the vote until an independent investigation released its findings. But the measure to delay any decision was rejected in a vote of 48-76.
“The majority of faculty senators support moving the vote of no confidence forward to a vote,” said Paul Ortiz, a professor who is among a group of faculty who assert Kotlikoff has lost the trust of the Cornell community.
The debate on Wednesday comes as Cornell has faced heightened scrutiny following allegations from a former student, known as Jane Doe, that she was gang raped at a fraternity house on campus in October 2024.
