Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff confronted an angry faculty Wednesday as tensions mounted over his administration’s response to a woman’s report that she was gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024.
During a meeting of the university’s Faculty Senate, Kotlikoff admitted that mistakes had been made but defended his record as lawmakers considered a resolution expressing no confidence in his administration.
The meeting was closed to reporters. But in an audio recording obtained by The Associated Press, Kotlikoff urged faculty to give him additional time to carry out reforms and address the culture surrounding student social life.
He argued that the university needs experienced leadership to tackle problems “that are not simplistic, they’re not easy, they can’t be brushed aside with a wave of a hand.”
Removing the president, Kotlikoff said, would not solve the crisis and could damage Cornell’s reputation.
Kotlikoff also suggested that Cornell could impose sweeping limits on Greek life, questioning whether fraternities can operate safely. On Tuesday, he announced a ban on fraternity parties for the remainder of the academic year.
“If, at the end of the day, fraternities cannot exist in a safe environment and we can’t be convinced that they can be safe, then we should make that decision,” he said. He added that Cornell should base its judgment on research and evidence rather than emotion.
After Kotlikoff left the meeting, several faculty members said they no longer trusted the administration to effectively address sexual assault on campus.
“The faculty were extremely angry. They gave him a hard time, I think appropriately so,” said Richard Bensel, a professor of government.
Other members of the Faculty Senate cautioned that rushing into a no-confidence vote would not resolve the deeper issues facing the university.
The debate was expected to resume Oct. 28, with an electronic vote to follow.
Although a faculty no-confidence vote would be largely symbolic, it could deliver a pointed message to Cornell’s trustees, who have ultimate authority over the university’s governance and leadership.
Accuser’s lawsuit has roiled campus
A woman identified as Jane Doe in court documents filed a lawsuit last month accusing seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity of sexually assaulting or exploiting her in October 2024. She also alleged that Cornell mishandled her complaints.
The seven men have denied the allegations. They have said their interactions with the woman were consensual or that they were not involved.
An investigation by Cornell’s police department stalled after the local district attorney quickly concluded that no crime had occurred.
Here’s the latest on the ‘Cornell 7’ frat probe:
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At the time, Kotlikoff publicly described the allegations as “deeply disturbing,” suspended the fraternity and said both criminal and university investigations were underway.
He later established a presidential task force to review Cornell’s procedures for handling sexual assault reports.
However, in an interview published Tuesday by The New York Times, Kotlikoff said he never checked back to find out what happened to the woman or how the criminal investigation had progressed.
When a faculty member asked whether he had read the Cornell Police Department’s report on the rape allegations, Kotlikoff said he had not. He explained that the investigation was confidential and that university policy bars senior administrators from taking part in criminal investigations.
“I really reject the idea that I had no interest in it or was not concerned about it,” Kotlikoff said.
Kotlikoff denied that he wasn’t aware that students had been expelled or suspended as a result of the university’s Title IX investigation, but acknowledged that, until recently, he didn’t know the woman had dropped out of Cornell.
Faculty describe ‘contentious’ meeting
“The institution is split in significant ways,” said Grant Farred, professor of Africana Studies and English, describing those in the humanities as feeling they had enough information to proceed while those in the sciences wanted more data.
Iris Packman, a research and policy expert at Cornell’s Climate Jobs Institute, said she felt Kotlikoff got “defensive.”
Labor history professor Paul Ortiz, lead sponsor of the no-confidence resolution, said the debate was animated by the perception that the administration wasn’t doing enough to address “a perpetual ongoing crisis.”
Anne Marie Brady, a senior extension associate at Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, said she welcomed Kotlikoff’s recent announcement that state police, rather than campus police, will temporarily handle investigations of sexual assaults, but she questioned the timing, a day before the Senate debate.
Faculty describe ‘contentious’ meeting
“The institution is split in significant ways,” said Grant Farred, professor of Africana Studies and English, describing those in the humanities as feeling they had enough information to proceed while those in the sciences wanted more data.
Iris Packman, a research and policy expert at Cornell’s Climate Jobs Institute, said she felt Kotlikoff got “defensive.”
Labor history professor Paul Ortiz, lead sponsor of the no-confidence resolution, said the debate was animated by the perception that the administration wasn’t doing enough to address “a perpetual ongoing crisis.”
Anne Marie Brady, a senior extension associate at Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, said she welcomed Kotlikoff’s recent announcement that state police, rather than campus police, will temporarily handle investigations of sexual assaults, but she questioned the timing, a day before the Senate debate.
Kim said her efforts to avoid colleagues who had harassed her later became a point of criticism during her tenure review.
In one instance, a professor cited her unwillingness to accept his advice and her avoidance of him when he voted against granting her tenure.
Kotlikoff became the university’s interim president in July 2024 and took the job permanently last year.
He’s faced challenges including a dining and custodial workers strike, ire over his decision last year to pay $60 million to settle Trump administration civil rights investigations, and accusations from activists that his administration stifled campus protests.