Cornell names Sally Yates to review university’s response to rape case

Yates will examine Cornell’s sexual assault investigations, disciplinary process and campus police response.

Al JazeeraAl Jazeera Staff2026-10-06 20:49查看原文 ↗

Yates will examine Cornell’s sexual assault investigations, disciplinary process and campus police response.

Former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates arrives for FBI Director Christopher Wray’s installation ceremony at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, on September 28, 2017 [File: Carlos Barria/Reuters]

Cornell University trustees have named former United States Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent internal review of how the university handles allegations of sexual assault and harassment, following widespread criticism over its response to a former student’s rape allegations.

The trustees announced on Tuesday that Yates will examine how Cornell investigates reports of sexual misconduct and assault, its disciplinary procedures, campus police responses and the university’s oversight of fraternities.

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Yates served as deputy attorney general during the administration of former President Barack Obama and as acting attorney general at the start of Donald Trump’s first presidency. Trump fired her in 2017 after she directed Justice Department lawyers not to defend his initial travel ban that targeted Muslim-majority countries.

“It is imperative that Cornell be willing to examine itself with the same rigor we expect of others,” Cornell Board of Trustees Chair Anne Meinig Smalling said in a statement.

The appointment comes after renewed criticism of Cornell’s handling of allegations made by a woman, identified in court filings as Jane Doe , who said she was sexually assaulted by multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024.

The case resurfaced after Doe filed a civil lawsuit against the university, the fraternity and seven former students in September.

No criminal charges have been filed in the case. Cornell has said it expelled some students and suspended others who were accused following its own investigation, while the Chi Phi chapter was shut down.

Cornell students rally against the university’s handling of allegations that a student was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024, in Ithaca, New York, on October 5, 2026 [Spencer Platt/Getty Images via AFP]

“We don’t have all the answers, but we are committed to investigating and finding the answers our community deserves,” Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said in a video message on Saturday.

Yates, now a partner at the law firm King & Spalding, conducts independent investigations and previously led a 2022 investigation into sexual abuse and misconduct in the National Women’s Soccer League that found systemic failures.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is separately conducting a criminal investigation into the allegations after Governor Kathy Hochul appointed her special prosecutor last week.

Hochul had called for an independent review of Cornell’s handling of the case amid criticism from students, faculty and others.

耶茨将审查康奈尔大学的性侵犯调查、纪律处分程序和校园警察应对措施。

2017年9月28日，美国前副司法部长萨莉·耶茨抵达华盛顿特区联邦调查局总部，参加联邦调查局局长克里斯托弗·雷的就职典礼。[图片：卡洛斯·巴里亚/路透社]

康奈尔大学董事会已任命美国前副司法部长萨莉·耶茨对该大学如何处理性侵犯和性骚扰指控进行独立内部审查，此前该大学对一名学生强奸指控的处理方式受到了广泛批评。

周二，校董会宣布，耶茨将审查康奈尔大学如何调查性行为不端和性侵犯的报告、其纪律程序、校园警察的应对措施以及大学对兄弟会的监管。

康奈尔大学校长誓言在兄弟会强奸案引发众怒之际保持透明（共3条，此为第1条）

康奈尔大学案例（共3例，此为第2例）使纽约的进步形象与其强奸法形成鲜明对比

列表 3/3 “粉碎父权制”：活动人士在康奈尔大学礼堂涂鸦，抗议轮奸案

耶茨曾在前总统奥巴马执政期间担任副司法部长，并在唐纳德·特朗普第一任总统任期之初担任代理司法部长。2017年，在她指示司法部律师不要为特朗普最初针对穆斯林占多数国家的旅行禁令辩护后，特朗普解雇了她。

康奈尔大学董事会主席安妮·梅尼格·斯莫林在一份声明中表示：“康奈尔大学必须愿意以我们期望其他大学对待自身的同样严谨态度来审视自身。”

此前，康奈尔大学对一名女性（在法庭文件中被确认为 Jane Doe）提出的指控的处理方式再次受到批评。该女性称，她在 2024 年 10 月遭到 Chi Phi 兄弟会多名成员的性侵犯。

9 月份，Doe 对大学、兄弟会和七名前学生提起民事诉讼，此案再次浮出水面。