Cornell University has appointed Sally Yates, a former acting U.S. attorney general and veteran federal prosecutor, to head an independent review of how the institution responded to a former student's rape allegations, the school announced Tuesday.
The move comes amid mounting outrage both on the Ithaca, New York, campus and across the country after a former student filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was drugged and gang raped in 2024. The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, also claims the university mishandled her complaint and the events that followed.
Yates, currently a partner at the law firm King & Spalding, was selected by a newly formed Special Committee of the Cornell University Board of Trustees. She previously served as U.S. deputy attorney general during the Obama administration and is widely regarded as a career prosecutor with decades of experience in the Justice Department.
According to the university's announcement, Yates will examine Cornell's policies for preventing and responding to sexual harassment, sexual assault and related misconduct on campus. Her review is expected to scrutinize the specific handling of Jane Doe's case as well as broader institutional practices.
"Sally Yates brings extraordinary experience, independence and judgment to this work," said Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the special committee, in the school's statement. "The questions raised by the Jane Doe matter warrant a rigor" that the review is intended to provide.
The appointment signals an attempt by Cornell's leadership to address growing criticism that it failed to protect a student and then mishandled her case after she came forward. The lawsuit has become a flashpoint in a national conversation about how universities handle sexual assault allegations.
Yates is known nationally for her tenure as deputy attorney general and for briefly serving as acting attorney general in early 2017, when she was fired after refusing to defend an executive order restricting travel from several predominantly Muslim countries. Her reputation for independence and adherence to the rule of law lends credibility to the Cornell review, according to observers.
The special committee was formed specifically to oversee the university's response to the controversy. By bringing in an outside figure of Yates's stature, Cornell appears to be trying to demonstrate that the review will not be a whitewash or an internal exercise designed to protect the institution.
Jane Doe's lawsuit alleges that she was drugged and gang raped in 2024, and that the university failed to adequately respond when she reported the assault. The suit has prompted protests on campus and drawn national media attention, including coverage from NPR, which noted that "the story unfolding at Cornell is dismayingly familiar."
That phrase reflects a broader pattern in which universities are accused of prioritizing reputation over the wellbeing of survivors. Advocates for sexual assault victims argue that independent reviews are a necessary step but often come too late for the individuals who have already suffered.
Legal experts say Yates's investigation could set an important precedent for how universities conduct internal reviews. Her findings may lead to policy changes at Cornell, but they could also influence how other institutions handle similar allegations.
The review is expected to take months, and its findings will likely be made public. Cornell has not announced a timeline for the completion of the investigation or specified whether Yates will have subpoena power or full access to university records.
The appointment was announced on October 6, 2026, and comes as the university faces intense pressure from students, alumni and activists. Some have called for the resignation of senior administrators, while others are demanding sweeping reforms to the school's Title IX procedures.
Yates's role will be to determine whether Cornell's policies and actions were adequate, and to recommend changes where they were not. Her report could also carry legal implications for the university as it defends against the civil suit.
The case has highlighted the challenges universities face when responding to sexual assault allegations, particularly when the accused are also students and when the incidents occur off campus. Critics say that too often, institutions conduct superficial inquiries that discourage survivors from pursuing justice.
By choosing Yates, Cornell has signaled that it wants the review to be seen as credible and thorough. Whether that will be enough to restore trust among students and survivors remains an open question.
The review will also examine how Cornell prevents sexual misconduct, not just how it responds to it. That includes training, reporting mechanisms and the culture within the university's Greek life and athletic programs, which have been the subject of past controversies.
For now, the focus is on Yates and the scope of her investigation. Her findings will be closely watched not only at Cornell but across higher education, as colleges and universities continue to grapple with how best to address sexual violence on campus.
(0)