Sally Yates Vows Independent Review of Cornell Sex Assault Case

Former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates pledged to conduct an independent investigation into Cornell University’s handling of sexual assault allegations, including a 2024 case involving a fraternity at the Ivy League school in New York.

Yates, a partner at law firm King & Spalding LLP, was hired by a special committee of Cornell’s Board of Trustees to examine the university’s response to the case and carry out a broader review of how the university prevents and responds to claims of sexual assault.

“We understand that some may be skeptical of our independence. I assure you that our independence is not a formality,” Yates said in a statement on Tuesday. “The Special Committee has pledged to provide our team with complete autonomy and the resources an independent review of this significance needs and deserves to fulfill its charge.”

Cornell Backs Probe Into Fraternity Sexual Assault Allegations

Since last month, protests have roiled Cornell in response to a former student’s allegations that she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house in 2024. The case has drawn scrutiny beyond Cornell’s upstate New York campus over how the university and local authorities handled her allegations — which were laid out in a civil lawsuit — and why an earlier probe into the matter didn’t result in criminal charges.

The investigation by Yates will examine Cornell’s procedures for reporting and investigating misconduct, its disciplinary process, oversight of fraternities and sororities, as well as the role of campus police. Yates said her team would spend time on campus gathering information and make recommendations for improvements.

The university’s board plans to publicly release the findings, according to Yates.

Yates, who served as the second-highest official at the US Justice Department after being nominated by then-President Barack Obama, had previously led an investigation into American women’s professional soccer. In 2022, the US Soccer Federation released findings and said it would act on recommendations from an investigation by Yates into allegations of abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in the sport.

Photo: Sally Yates, partner of King & Spalding LLP, speaks during the Bloomberg Year Ahead Summit in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018.