Cornell brings in ex-Justice official Sally Yates to review school’s handling of sex assault claims
Cornell University has appointed former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent review of its sexual misconduct complaint processes. This decision follows public outcry and a lawsuit regarding the university's handling of a 2024 gang rape allegation involving a fraternity.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing challenges in how elite universities manage Title IX investigations and campus safety in the face of public and legal scrutiny.
A former high-ranking Department of Justice official will look at how Cornell handles sexual misconduct complaints, university trustees announced Tuesday (October 6, 2026) as they tried to address an outpouring of anger over allegations of a 2024 gang rape at a fraternity house.
Sally Yates, who was a deputy attorney general in the Obama administration, will spearhead the review, the trustees said. The assessment is to include how the Ivy League university investigates reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment, how the disciplinary process works, campus police responses and more.
“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.
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