Cornell faculty vote no-confidence in leadership over alleged gang rape

The Cornell University Faculty Senate approved a resolution on Friday declaring no confidence in the university's top leaders, including President Michael Kotlikoff. The symbolic vote follows a lawsuit from a former student alleging she was gang raped by seven male students at a fraternity party in 2024. According to PBS NewsHour, ABC News AU, and The Guardian US, the resolution passed 75-50, with five senators abstaining and five not voting. The Hill reported the vote passed by 55 percent to 37 percent with 7 percent abstaining.

The faculty vote follows weeks of debate regarding whether administrators properly handled the allegations and if they have done enough to prevent sexual misconduct. While the resolution is not binding, backers told ABC News AU they hoped it would pressure the university's trustees to address what they identified as longstanding institutional failures. New Straits Times noted that critics have accused the university of being too lenient in its initial response to the incident.

The Cornell board of trustees stated on Friday that the vote reflects deep anger on campus and signals that the incident is unacceptable. However, the board added that President Kotlikoff and his administration are the right leaders to address the issue.

Brief written by urgent.news from New Straits Times, PBS NewsHour, ABC News AU, The Guardian US, The Hill — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.