Cornell Courage

cornellsun.comTwo Top Teachers Union Presidents Call on Trustees to Demand Cornell President’s ResignationRandi Weingarten ’80, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Melinda Person ’98 M.S. ’05 both called on the Board of Trustees to demand President Michael Kotlikoff’s resignation in a Tu...

Noteworthy: 2 influential Cornell alumnae call for the Board to remove President Kotlikoff in the wake of his leadership failures. "...We urge you to exercise that responsibility, seek President Kotlikoff's resignation and begin the process of restoring trust in Cornell's leadership."

Dan Hirschman@asociologist.bsky.social

Thank you @rweingarten.bsky.social & Melinda Person for calling out Cornell for its failure of leadership and demanding that the Board do better! www.cornellsun.com/article/2026...

change.orgSign the PetitionDartmouth Students, Alumni, and Families Supporting Cornell Jane Doe

wow, there's now a Dartmouth student/alumni petition supporting Jane Doe. thanks, allies! www.change.org/p/dartmouth-...

Kotlikoff got a standing ovation from trustees & alumni volunteers last week.🤮 Alumni boosters can't bear criticizing the university leadership—which has rewarded them w/ access/roles to make them feel like an honorary part of Cornell's leadership. That's why this alum's break from the norm ⬇️ is ☺️

"...We have spent more than 30 years supporting Cornell through alumni leadership, countless volunteer hours, charitable contributions, and planned giving. Cornell has been an important part of our lives, and we care deeply about its future. That is why we have made the painful decision..."

"...to suspend our donations and remove Cornell from our estate plans. We are also redirecting our volunteer efforts toward supporting students and advocating for meaningful institutional change, rather than serving as mouthpieces for an administration in which we have lost confidence."

Torillo French (recently a member of the "President's Council of Cornell Women" met w/a group of students last week. And she shows that her loyalty to Cornell lies with its students, not with the small cadre of people now steering the ship. A refreshing sign. She also co-wrote a powerful letter....

The Frenchs letter reads in part: "We have formally written to Cornell's Board of Trustees asking it to confront a fundamental question: Is this the leadership team Cornell needs to restore trust, implement meaningful change, and lead the University forward? For us, the answer is no...."

coalitionforcarolinafoundation.orgCoalition for Carolina – We must protect the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

We feel your pain, Tar Heels. Alumni/faculty/students who want to join in solidarity/opposition should check out Coalition for Carolina. Just because the "deal is done" doesn't mean that your involvement isn't vital to prevent further erosion. (Ask us how we know!) coalitionforcarolinafoundation.org

North Carolina Conference of the AAUP@ncaaup.bsky.social

No matter how they try to spin it, the UNC administration did this because they like being part of a repressive state apparatus www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/u...

nytimes.comU.N.C. Strikes Trump Deal to Keep Federal FundingThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will not pay any financial penalties but agreed to abide by the Trump administration’s views on diversity and other matters.

cornellsun.comLETTER TO THE EDITOR | Open Letter from 200+ Cornell Faculty: We Will TooProfessors Begüm Adale, Chloe Ahmann and Catherine Appert jointly pen an open letter to Cornell's student body on behalf of over 200 faculty members, expressing their commitment to student wellbeing, ...

A must-read for EVERY CORNELLIAN: 200+ Cornell faculty write a letter of support & commitment to students. Amidst the mess that embroils Cornell, they're crystal-clear in their priority: to do their best for students, and to be specific about what that entails.

Dan Hirschman@asociologist.bsky.social

“As faculty instructors and advisors, we want to be absolutely clear: this administration does not speak for us. We will not allow the horrific sexual violence experienced by Jane Doe and others in our community to be swept under the rug.” www.cornellsun.com/article/2026...

Please click on the link & take a minute or 2 to read it all. It's well worth the time. If you see signatures of profs from your major, why not send them an appreciative email? (Faculty have been under strain for months.) It just takes a sec to find their contact & send a quick note. And if not?..

If you don't see signatures of profs from your major, you could email the department & politely ask why. Don't harass the faculty (or dept. administrator or write an angry email! Just seek to understand. And express your concerns as an alum, in a way that shows your appreciation for faculty's role.

Many alumni do not understand the current Code of Conduct issues and why they are such a critical point of concern for students etc. This has a relationship to title IX.

This post is unavailable.

caoffice.cornell.eduThe Office of the Complainants' Codes Counselor | Title IX & Student Code Procedural Advisors

President Kotlikoff is so incompetent (clueless?) that when emailing the world & pledging support for student survivors, he doesn't even mention a resource that Cornell already has to support students in situations like this, free & confidential counseling etc. caoffice.cornell.edu

An update from our end

Alumni can still "sign up" to be part of our movement by getting in touch with the contact info on our web site, or by DM here. But there are several initiatives going on at the moment so if people are signing up for one of those specifically instead, it's all good.

usatoday.comCornell students rally to demand reform in sexual assault policiesCornell students, faculty and supporters rallied on campus, protesting the university’s handling of sexual assault cases and demanding reforms.

More photos of Monday at Cornell, from USA Today's Seth Harrison, @usatoday.com @sethharrison.bsky.social www.usatoday.com/picture-gall...

cnn.comCornell says ex-US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will investigate school’s response to Jane Doe’s rape allegations | CNNFormer US Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates will lead an independent review of how Cornell University “prevents and responds to sexual harassment, sexual assault and related misconduct on campus,...

👀 @cnn.com covered Monday's protest on Cornell's campus as part of its ongoing coverage of the story. Check the 2nd video (lower part of page) to see clips of remarks by student & faculty speakers on the steps of the Straight. cc: @asociologist.bsky.social www.cnn.com/2026/10/06/u...

spectrumlocalnews.comCornell students hold 'justice for survivors' protestOrganized by more than 20 student organizations, students demanded justice for the woman who was allegedly gang raped at the university in 2024.

Nice video news segment by @spectrumnewsny1.bsky.social in Syracuse, focusing on the students' constructive responses rather than just the administration's statements. spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-...

Cornell Courage reposted

Cornell AAUP

@cornellaaup.bsky.social

Cornell students, faculty, and staff stand with survivors!

Not only is the Cornell Daily Sun free online, but they also have a daily newsletter. We've been encouraging all alumni (and other allies) to sign up--the link is on the top left of the home page ("Join..."). Sustained attention to this is important.

praying mantis@gentlem.bsky.social

www.cornellsun.com Several current related articles headline the #CornellSun home page, featuring working embedded links to applicable past articles relevant to the content. There‘s no paywall. I get a lot of good coverage from university newspapers in general. I encourage everyone to read them.

Among the various responses to the Jane Doe case/allegations, that of Cornell's AAUP chapter is one that we look to....

Cornell AAUP@cornellaaup.bsky.social

The Cornell AAUP Chapter is outraged by the sexual violence that was committed at Chi Phi in 2024. We call for the community to come together on Monday, October 5 at 4:30pm in Ho Plaza, to stand in support of the survivors of sexual violence. Our full statement is here.

A brief statement from organizers of the Cornell Courage alumni group, followed by some suggestions on how alumni can respond to express their concerns.../1

*Alumni should follow @cornellaaup.bsky.social *We also follow Prof Hirshman @asociologist.bsky.social -He's already shared a blog w/ some key sources on this + a list of actions he's aware of. Faculty have already been pushing for change to support students. They could use alumni support /4

scatter.wordpress.comscatterplotthe unruly darlings of public sociology

Correction: Professor Dan HirsChman. Do check out scatter.wordpress.com where he has shared a summary/updates of the situation. [Misspelling the prof's name is so embarrassing! 😬 ]

A brief statement from organizers of the Cornell Courage alumni group, followed by some suggestions on how alumni can respond to express their concerns.../1

That is, the Board (or President/spox) will state something that is factually true that purports to address the concern, but at the same time omits details that would reveal that the real concern isn't addressed. [As an example, consider ⬇️ Very little detail on this "range" of consequences.] /10

...which is why following the details closely & being able to spot evasive statements is very helpful. (faculty can be astute abt this) That's not to say ppl shouldn't sign/share the petition. Pressure is mounting; Board will try to relieve it by making some change, claiming it resolved issue /11

A brief statement from organizers of the Cornell Courage alumni group, followed by some suggestions on how alumni can respond to express their concerns.../1

#5. Tell Cornell you won't be donating? In '25-'26, many alumni tried this but it didn't sway Cornell's admin, who dug in their heels & stuck to their positions. Reason: sometimes deep-pocketed supportive donors, or unconcerned alumni, can cover the shortfall. This time might be different? /8

change.orgSign the PetitionCORNELL ALUMNI SUPPORTING JANE DOE

#6. The petition circulating? Cornell's Board will likely try v hard to sidestep it. It's unclear what % of endorsers are really alumni. The demands aren't specific enough for these circumstances, because this Board/admin will say it's already met those demands. www.change.org/p/cornell-al... /9

A brief statement from organizers of the Cornell Courage alumni group, followed by some suggestions on how alumni can respond to express their concerns.../1

#4. You could also email Trustees[@cornell] etc. but the Board has stood firmly behind Kotlikoff very recently & flatly refused faculty/alumni/student calls for an independent investigation into May's incident. So worth a try but the Board's main people have shown a lack of ethical concern.... /6

statements.cornell.eduCornell University FAQ Regarding 2024 Chi Phi Sexual Assault Allegations

As for the board's own statement statements.cornell.edu/2026/2026092... & FAQ statements.cornell.edu/2026/2026092... We aren't in a position to critique or agree with the contents, but keep an eye on the Sun and faculty comments. So what else can you do? /7

A brief statement from organizers of the Cornell Courage alumni group, followed by some suggestions on how alumni can respond to express their concerns.../1

#3. (As a specific action), you could email president [@cornell], etc (which goes to other top admins, too). He has a track record of ignoring criticism, though, and has a full-time spin guy to gaslight critics. It's worth a try, but please be mindful that this method might have limited effect. /5

A brief statement from organizers of the Cornell Courage alumni group, followed by some suggestions on how alumni can respond to express their concerns.../1

It's not our place to lead the protest on this (it'd be presumptuous)...but we've had recent experience expressing our serious concerns as alums. So we pass on these recs: #1, Above all: Continue to follow this, esp. by reading the Sun often. Understanding the complexities helps too. /2

@asociologist.bsky.social

#2. Follow/listen to FACULTY. (we can't stress this enough). They're: -more empowered than staff/students to criticize Cornell's admin -in the thick of things (compared to most alumni) -knowledgeable about the nuts & bolts of procedures/policies -aligned w/ alumni in standing up for what's right /3

Cornell Courage reposted

Dan Hirschman

In case it's useful to anyone, I put together a collection of links about a horrific 2024 sexual assault at Cornell and recent uproar about Cornell's response to that event. scatter.wordpress.com/2026/09/29/s...

scatter.wordpress.comsexual assault at cornellAs most readers here likely know, Cornell has been in the spotlight this week as new details came out about a sexual assault that took place at a fraternity in 2024. This post contains a collection…

cornellsun.comEDITORIAL | Cornell Won’t, We WillThe Editorial Board demands that Cornell stops protecting the alleged Chi Phi rapists through the University's opaque sexual assault policies.

Visit the Sun's web site and look for the signup link. You can also follow their social media accounts (though not yet on bsky!). Our sense is that many alums are pretty disconnected to current campus issues, and yet it would really help students if alumni were more aware of what's going on.

Cornell Courage@cornellcourage.bsky.social

We hope alumni will follow this news closely and visit the Cornell Daily Sun's web site often to read the strong coverage that its journalists have given to this & other topics of concern. We recommend subscribing to the Sun's newsletter too (link in next post) www.cornellsun.com/article/2026...

cornellsun.comEDITORIAL | Cornell Won’t, We WillThe Editorial Board demands that Cornell stops protecting the alleged Chi Phi rapists through the University's opaque sexual assault policies.

cornellsun.comEDITORIAL | One Month Since: An Investigation in Name OnlyThe Editorial Board argues that Cornell's investigation into President Kotlikoff's actions on April 30 lacked transparency and independence, criticizing the University for releasing only a brief state...

20 July

School's out for the summer, but we're happy to see the Cornell Daily Sun's Editorial Board is keeping their eye on the ball: "How can we as students trust the results of this investigation ...?...Where is the integrity in this whole ordeal?" www.cornellsun.com/article/2026...

thehill.comDOJ opens 15 new investigations into medical schools’ admissionsThe Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday announced civil rights investigations into 15 additional medical schools over alleged racial discrimination in admissions, expanding on its recent probes…

7 June

Not sure if this includes Stanford, but the Trump admin recently pushed for their med school data. Folks, this abuse of power (& demands for vast amounts of data) isn't just a Cornell problem or a Stanford problem or a Harvard problem etc. It's a widespread assault. thehill.com/homenews/adm...

@asociologist.bsky.social

7 June

👀A land-grant university whose leaders are overcomplying with laws (e.g., making changes in response to laws that don't apply to them), and whose leaders are abandoning shared governance...now where have we seen that before?

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Cornell Courage reposted

Dan Hirschman

27 May

This new @yaleaaup.bsky.social report on academic freedom at Yale is horrifying if not surprising. One number that jumped out: "21.5% reported that they had been asked by a “department chair, Deans, or others in university leadership” to make changes to their courses, research or website".

aaupyale.orgThe State of Academic Freedom at YaleA Report from the Yale Chapter of the AAUP — SPRING 2026 This report presents findings from a survey of the Yale faculty on the state of academic freedom at the University. The survey was conducted…

Cornell Courage reposted

More Perfect University

@mpuniversity.bsky.social

3 June

UPDATE: Cornell University has banned Aiden Vallecillo—the recent grad whose foot President Kotlikoff ran over—from campus for one year.

More Perfect University@mpuniversity.bsky.social

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff struck student protesters with his car. This is why.

6 June

People must be distracted by other things--this thread (excerpts from Cornell Law Professor @jtlg.bsky.social 's detailed blog) has flown under the radar. We agree 💯%. Anyone who thinks that the committee's "investigation" passes the smell test loses all credibility. Now the question is...

James Grimmelmann@jtlg.bsky.social

I conclude by calling on the Board of Trustees to remove the committee's members—its Chair and Vice-Chairs—from their leadership positions. "These are not people who have demonstrated the judgment we require from our leaders."

6 June

What would it take for the Board to dismiss its current chair and 3 vice chairs? Serious question.

instagram.comStudents for a Democratic Cornell on Instagram: "To cover up President Kotlikoff backing into students with his car, Cornell released statements lying about the students involved. We’re setting the re...339 likes, 18 comments - sdc.now on May 29, 2026: "To cover up President Kotlikoff backing into students with his car, Cornell released statements lying about the students involved. We’re setting the ...

We ask your help in reading & sharing the recent statements of the SDC to counteract the misinformation being generated by university officials. Please read and share the students' recent statement. www.instagram.com/p/DY7sXmlFIP... And if you'd like to help us stand up to this kind of thing...

Cornell Courage@cornellcourage.bsky.social

As Cornell prepares to welcome 6,941 alumni to next weekend's reunions, its officials have now banned a 2nd alum from campus following leaders' attempted cover-up of the President's highly unethical behavior. ithacavoice.org/2026/05/corn...

instagram.comStudents for a Democratic Cornell on Instagram: "To cover up President Kotlikoff backing into students with his car, Cornell released statements lying about the students involved. We’re setting the re...337 likes, 17 comments - sdc.now on May 29, 2026: "To cover up President Kotlikoff backing into students with his car, Cornell released statements lying about the students involved. We’re setting the ...

cornellsun.comCORNELL AAUP | Joint Statement on the Trustees’ Investigation and President Kotlikoff’s ResponseCornell AAUP, along with Cornell Courage, CCJP and the CGSU-UE, issue a joint statement condemning the Board of Trustees' investigation into President Kotlikoff and President Kotlikoff's actions since...

You can contact the Board re: your dissatisfaction & also insist on an independent investigation..using trustees@... (you can also contact president@...) www.cornellsun.com/article/2026... If you're up in the Ithaca area, DM us..

instagram.comStudents for a Democratic Cornell on Instagram: "To cover up President Kotlikoff backing into students with his car, Cornell released statements lying about the students involved. We’re setting the re...337 likes, 17 comments - sdc.now on May 29, 2026: "To cover up President Kotlikoff backing into students with his car, Cornell released statements lying about the students involved. We’re setting the ...