Cornell faculty pass no-confidence vote over leadership's handling of Jane Doe allegations

What the report says

Cornell University’s academic senate has passed a no-confidence vote in the institution’s central administration over its handling of allegations raised by a former student known publicly as Jane Doe. The vote, which passed 75 to 50, is mainly symbolic because the faculty senate cannot remove university leaders.

The dispute centers on a lawsuit Doe filed in September over an alleged gang rape at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. She has accused university president Michael Kotlikoff of dismissing her concerns about the timing of her report, while Cornell has said her account of his response is inaccurate. According to the BBC’s report, all seven accused have denied wrongdoing when contacted by CBS, and none has been charged.

The resolution did not set out specific remedies or identify particular failures, but it said the administration could not effectively address what it described as a continuing sexual assault crisis on campus. Cornell’s board of trustees, which does have authority over the president, said it still supports Kotlikoff and his team. Doe’s lawyer welcomed the vote as a sign of growing concern within the university community.

The case has drawn wider scrutiny of Cornell’s response to sexual violence complaints. The university has acknowledged shortcomings, launched an independent review and introduced new measures, while state prosecutors and police have also been involved in related inquiries.