By Cameron Fozi | Updated on Oct 06, 2026 at 06:09 PM
Cornell University appointed former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to head an independent review of how the university prevents and responds to claims of sexual assault.
Yates, a partner at King & Spalding LLP, was selected by the university’s Board of Trustees amid growing scrutiny over how Cornell handled sexual-assault allegations stemming from a 2024 incident at the Chi Phi fraternity house. Concerns over Cornell’s response resurfaced last month, after a former student, identified in court records as Jane Doe, alleged in a civil complaint that Cornell, the fraternity and her former sorority failed to protect her.
In a statement released Tuesday, the university said Yates and her team will conduct a detailed review of the university’s response to the allegations, “including whether Cornell followed its policies and procedures in responding to the matter.”
Cornell barred the fraternity chapter in 2024 after the incident, the university previously said. A Chi Phi representative said Cornell’s chapter of the fraternity voted unanimously to remove the accused members from its roll three days after the plaintiff filed a police report.
No criminal charges have been filed in the case. Last week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul named New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor, giving her office the authority to prosecute offenses and present evidence to a grand jury if warranted.