Cornell trustees bring in Sally Yates to review handling of sex assault claims
In short
Cornell University trustees announced Tuesday that former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will lead an independent review of how the university handles sexual misconduct complaints. The review follows days of protests over Cornell's response to a 2024 allegation of gang rape at a Chi Phi fraternity house, a lawsuit by the complainant, and a criminal investigation by New York's attorney general. No criminal charges have been filed; the Chi Phi chapter was shut down and the university has said it expelled some students and suspended others.
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Cornell University's trustees announced Tuesday that Sally Yates, a former deputy attorney general in the Obama administration, will lead an independent review of how the university handles sexual misconduct complaints. The New York Times described Yates as a career federal prosecutor and former interim U.S. attorney general; other outlets described her as a former deputy attorney general. The trustees said the move was intended to address an outpouring of anger over allegations of a 2024 gang rape at a fraternity house. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
According to the trustees' announcement, the assessment is to include how the Ivy League university investigates reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment, what support students get, how the disciplinary process works, campus police responses, and oversight of fraternities, sororities and other student organizations. “It is imperative that Cornell be willing to examine itself with the same rigor we expect of others,” trustee Chair Anne Meinig Smalling said in a statement. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The announcement follows days of outrage over Cornell's response to a complaint from a woman known publicly only as Jane Doe. She told campus police in November 2024 that she had been sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi fraternity brothers the month before after being pressured into drinking and taking drugs, according to the reports. No criminal charges have been filed. The Chi Phi chapter at Cornell was shut down, and the university has said it expelled some students and suspended others. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Jane Doe sued the university, seven former students, the fraternity and others last month, a suit the reports say put a new, nationwide spotlight on the allegations and on how the campus police, the university and the local prosecutor had reacted. New York's attorney general is now conducting a criminal investigation, and the state's governor called for an independent review of Cornell's handling of the matter — the review that Yates now will lead. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Cornell students, professors and others thronged a campus plaza on Monday to protest the university's response, and the school's main administration building was splashed with graffiti and damaged overnight, the Associated Press reported. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The Boston Globe noted that Yates had a decades-long career at the Justice Department, serving for years as the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta and later as deputy attorney general, and that she drew particular prominence in January 2017 as acting attorney general. [ 5 ]
Why it matters
The review places Cornell's procedures for investigating sexual assault, disciplining students and overseeing fraternities under outside scrutiny after a lawsuit and a state criminal investigation. Documents say the case has drawn a nationwide spotlight to how the campus police, the university and the local prosecutor responded. The appointment is a direct response to anger from students and faculty on campus.
Key facts
- Cornell University trustees announced that Sally Yates will lead an independent review of how the university handles sexual misconduct complaints. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The review is to cover how Cornell investigates reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment, what support students get, the disciplinary process, campus police responses and oversight of fraternities, sororities and other student organizations. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The announcement followed days of outrage and a Monday protest over Cornell's response to a complaint from a woman known publicly only as Jane Doe, who told campus police in November 2024 she had been sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi fraternity brothers the month before. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- No criminal charges have been filed, and the Chi Phi chapter at Cornell was shut down, with the university saying it expelled some students and suspended others. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Jane Doe sued the university, seven former students, the fraternity and others last month. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- New York's attorney general is conducting a criminal investigation, and the state's governor called for an independent review of Cornell's handling of the matter. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- University trustees announced that Sally Yates will lead a review of how Cornell handles sexual misconduct complaints. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Yates served as deputy attorney general in the Obama administration. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The assessment is to include how Cornell investigates reports of sexual assault and harassment, student support, the disciplinary process, campus police responses and oversight of student organizations including fraternities and sororities. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The announcement came after days of outrage and a campus demonstration over Cornell's response to the allegations. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- No criminal charges have been filed in the case. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The Chi Phi chapter at Cornell was shut down, and the university has said it expelled some students and suspended others. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- New York's attorney general is conducting a criminal investigation, and the state's governor called for an independent review of Cornell's handling of the matter. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Yates' former federal title The New York Times describes her as a former interim U.S. attorney general and a career federal prosecutor, while the AP and other outlets describe her as a deputy attorney general in the Obama administration.
- The outcome and timing of the review, and whether it has a deadline or reporting requirements The documents describe the scope of the assessment but give no timetable or completion date.
- Findings or progress of the New York attorney general's criminal investigation The documents state that an investigation is underway but give no results or details.
- Damage and graffiti reported at Cornell's main administration building Only one document mentions overnight graffiti and damage; no other outlet in the set reports it.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The New York Times reports that Cornell hired Sally Yates to lead an independent investigation into how the university handled a former student's 2024 rape allegation. [ 1 ]
- The Associated Press reports that university trustees announced the review by Yates, saying the assessment will cover investigations, discipline, campus police responses and more. [ 2 ]
- ABC News reports the trustees' announcement and details of the 2024 complaint, the lawsuit, the state criminal investigation and the governor's call for an independent review. [ 3 ]
- The Boston Globe reports the announcement and notes Yates' decades-long Justice Department career. [ 5 ]