Editor’s note: This article references sexual assault.
The Board of Trustees announced that Sally Yates, a former U.S. deputy attorney general, will lead an independent review of the University’s handling of the alleged 2024 Chi Phi gang rape — and sexual misconduct at large — in an Oct. 6 statement.
A longtime federal prosecutor, Yates previously led an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior in the U.S. Women Soccer’s team in 2022. Yates currently works as a partner at white-shoe law firm King & Spalding LLP and served as U.S. Deputy Attorney General from 2015 to 2017 under President Trump.
Yates’ appointment comes after a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, filed a Sept. 14 lawsuit alleging that she was sexually assaulted and gang raped after being coerced into consuming drugs at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. The case and details about the University’s response have since sparked national outrage.
“Sally Yates brings extraordinary experience, independence and judgment to this work,” said Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the Board of Trustees, in the statement. “The questions raised by the Jane Doe matter warrant a rigorous examination of Cornell’s response to that case, but our responsibility is broader.”
Smalling added that Yates and her team will be responsible for evaluating “Cornell’s overall approach to preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, identify where we are doing things well and where we can do better, and recommend changes that will help make our community safer.”
Yates will complete the investigation independently and report to a newly formed Special Committee, chaired by Smalling and comprising other trustees including Jennifer L. Davis, Tara Holm, Howard L. Morgan, Beckie Robertson, Stephen C. Robinson, Martin F. Scheinman and Robert W. Selander, according to the statement.
Cornell agreed to an independent review after Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) called for one in a statement on Sept. 29. New York State Attorney General Letitia James (D-N.Y.) is also conducting an investigation into Cornell’s response to the alleged Chi Phi gang rape.
According to the statement, the review will examine how Cornell handles reports of sexual misconduct, including its investigation and hearing processes, disciplinary decisions, coordination with law enforcement, student support resources, Greek Life policies and the Board’s oversight of sexual misconduct cases.
Yates will also evaluate Cornell’s compliance with federal and state laws on misconduct, as well as higher education best practices for preventing and responding to such cases. Title IX, the Clery Act, the Violence Against Women Act, Campus SaVE Act and New York State law will all be considered, according to the statement.
Cornell will provide Yates with relevant policies, records, case files and access to University personnel and leadership, while complying with applicable laws and privacy requirements, according to the statement.
Smalling also calls on Cornell to take a critical look at its own response to sexual violence and consider how it can improve moving forward.
“It is imperative that Cornell be willing to examine itself with the same rigor we expect of others,” Smalling wrote. “We want to understand not just what happened in 2024, but how Cornell can become a leader in preventing sexual violence, supporting those who come forward and responding to allegations rigorously, fairly and compassionately.”
Zeinab Faraj is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a senior editor for the 144th Editorial Board. She was a features editor and an assistant sports editor on the 143rd Editorial Board and can be reached at zfaraj@cornellsun.com.
