Taken from Randi Weingarten’s Instagram, and now reported on in the Daily Sun.
To the Cornell University Board of Trustees:
We write to you not only as leaders of two of the nations largest labor unions, but as proud Cornell University alumni who care deeply about the institution and the values it represents.
Cornell has a unique place in American higher education. Founded on the principle that “any person can find instruction in any study,” it has long stood tor opportunity, intellectual freedom, public service and the dignity of work. Its commitment to labor education and working people is not incidental to its history. It is part of what makes Cornell special
That is why the recent revelations surrounding President Michael Kotlikoff’s handling of allegations of sexual violence are so deeply troubling.
Today’s reporting has brought forward the account of a former Cornell student who described feeling unsupported and disbelieved by the very person entrusted with leading her university. While Cornell disputes her characterization of the president’s remarks, the questions raised about his judgment and response cannot be dismissed.
President Kotlikoff has acknowledged that he knew about the allegations but failed to personally follow up. For a university president, that failure of leadership is deeply troubling. Students who come forward to report sexual violence deserve to know that their university will take their allegations seriously protect their dignity and make their safety a priority.
These revelations raise fundamental questions about the judgment, compassion and accountability of Cornells highest ranking leader.
For these reasons, we are calling on the Board of Trustees to demand President Michael Kotlikoff’s resignation.
University presidents have a responsibility that extends beyond managing an institution. They arc entrusted with defending its mission, protecting its community and demonstrating the moral courage to stand up for its values, particularly when doing so is difficult.
Leadership requires more than carefully worded statements. It requires action, accountability and a willingness to stand with the people who make an institution what it is.
As labor leaders, we know that institutions are strongest when the voices of workers, educators and students arc respected. We also know that trust, once lost, cannot be restored simply by asking people to move forward.
Cornell’s faculty, staff, students and alumni deserve leadership that earns their confidence, respects their contributions and demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the university’s founding principles.
Our call is not made lightly We understand the seriousness of asking a university president to step down. But our loyalty is to Cornell, to ensuring that Jane Doe and other victims of sexual assault get the accountability they seek, and to the generations of students, educators and workers who have made it an extraordinary institution, not to any one individual who happens to lead it.
An independent investigation and a thorough examination of the university’s response are essential. But those processes do not relieve the Board of its responsibility to assess whether President Kotlikoff can continue to lead with the trust and confidence this institution requires
The Board of Trustees has both the authority and the obligation to act when a president can no longer provide the leadership an institution needs.
We urge you to exercise that responsibility, seek President Kotlikoff’s resignation and begin the process of restoring trust in Cornell’s leadership.
Cornell deserves a president who will honor its past, defend its values and lead with the courage this moment demands.
