Cornell University has engaged former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent investigation into its handling of a student’s sexual assault allegations, university officials announced on October 6. The inquiry comes amid growing scrutiny and protests over the university’s response to claims the student was gang-raped at a fraternity party in October 2024.
Yates, who served as deputy attorney general from 2015 to 2017 and is now a partner at King & Spalding law firm, will undertake a comprehensive review of Cornell’s procedures for preventing and responding to sexual assault reports. The investigation will specifically examine the university’s response to the allegations made by the student, referred to as Jane Doe in legal filings, who accuses Cornell of failing to properly investigate and discipline members of the Chi Phi fraternity.
Jane Doe filed a lawsuit in September against Cornell and seven fraternity members involved in the incident. In her complaint, she states that she reported the assault to law enforcement several weeks after the alleged event, prompting both a university inquiry and a criminal investigation. However, local prosecutors ultimately decided not to pursue charges.
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff described the case as a “defining moment” for the institution and emphasized the need for improvement. The university has maintained that it conducted an appropriate response to the initial report. Following its investigation, Cornell shuttered the Chi Phi chapter and issued various disciplinary measures against those implicated, including expulsions and other sanctions.
The university’s Board of Trustees has established a Special Committee to oversee Yates’s review, granting her full independence to assess the university’s policies and actions. Representatives for Jane Doe did not immediately comment on the announcement. The outcome of Yates’s examination is expected to inform potential changes in how Cornell addresses sexual misconduct on campus moving forward.