A governing body of Cornell University professors and instructors passed a vote of no confidence in university leadership over its handling of sexual assault, as rape allegations by a former student roil the Ivy League school.

The Cornell Faculty Senate on Friday approved a resolution expressing “no confidence in the ability of the central administration to effectively address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault,” according to a statement from the university.

The vote is largely symbolic because the faculty body doesn’t have the authority to remove Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff. While it reflects growing dissatisfaction with the school’s leadership, the board of trustees signaled they back Kotlikoff in the wake of a lawsuit by the former student. In September, the woman — identified in court papers as Jane Doe — alleged in a civil lawsuit that she was assaulted by members of a campus fraternity about two years ago. She further alleged the university, the fraternity and her sorority failed to protect her.

“Today’s Faculty Senate vote reflects the deep anger across our campus and sends a clear signal that what happened to Jane Doe is unacceptable,” said Anne Meinig Smalling, the chair of the board of trustees, in the statement. “We support President Kotlikoff’s commitment to taking all necessary steps to ensure students are safe on campus and working together as a community to help prevent this from happening again.”

Cornell’s response to her allegations has drawn widespread criticism from politicians, faculty, students and alumni, many of whom have faulted Kotlikoff’s response and raised broad concerns about campus culture and sexual-assault protocols from far beyond the elite university’s base in Ithaca, New York.

Kotlikoff, who is in his mid-70s, has apologized and acknowledged shortcomings in Cornell’s response. At a meeting in mid-October with the Cornell Faculty Senate, Kotlikoff addressed calls for his resignation and pledged to make Cornell a leader in preventing and responding to sexual violence.

“If this university feels that they will solve this problem by replacing a president, that, itself, is not good for Cornell’s reputation, because I don’t think it’s the right way you address situations like this,” Kotlikoff said during the meeting to faculty senators who were deliberating the no-confidence vote.

The faculty senate’s decision follows calls to revamp the university’s culture and leadership.

In late October, Cornell’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors called for the resignation of Kotlikoff and vice president for student and campus life Ryan Lombardi, along with the “immediate suspension” of fraternities sponsored by the Interfraternity Council. The association, which also lacks authority to force the resignation, says it represents Cornell faculty, librarians and other academic staff, but doesn’t disclose membership numbers.

Kotlikoff, who became Cornell’s interim president in 2024, became president the following year as college campuses across the country were embroiled in controversy over the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza. Since then, the leadership of many large U.S. universities has rapidly turned over.

©2026 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.