Cornell University announced Tuesday that it has brought on former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent review of the school’s response to a former student’s allegations of rape at a fraternity house.

As part of the investigation, Yates will look into whether Cornell followed its policies and procedures when handling a report from a female student who said she was gang raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024, the university said. The woman, identified only as Jane Doe in the lawsuit she filed last month, accused seven men of sexual battery and assault, and alleged that the university failed to do enough to protect her.

Yates’ team will also review how Cornell responds to and prevents sexual misconduct on campus more broadly, including how reports are investigated; how hearings, disciplinary decisions and appeals are handled; and the process for reporting to campus police and related authorities. The review will also cover Cornell’s policies and oversight of Greek life and other student organizations.

“The questions raised by the Jane Doe matter warrant a rigorous examination of Cornell’s response to that case, but our responsibility is broader,” said Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the university’s special committee that hired Yates.

“It is imperative that Cornell be willing to examine itself with the same rigor we expect of others,” Smalling added.

Yates’ investigation is an institutional review into Cornell’s handling of the incident rather than an investigation into an alleged crime. Her probe will likely result in a report with recommendations or accountability measures for the university. Her investigation cannot itself yield criminal punishment.

The university has faced intense backlash for how it handled Jane Doe’s allegations, which she reported to campus police roughly three weeks after the incident took place, according to her lawsuit. The Tompkins County district attorney, Matthew Van Houten, declined to file charges at the time, though his office has reopened the investigation in light of the lawsuit.

Van Houten said recently that campus police did not provide his office with complete transcripts from its interview with Jane Doe. However, The New York Times reported that his office had decided not to review additional evidence from campus police.

Attorneys for several of the seven men accused of assaulting Jane Doe have denied criminal wrongdoing.

Several outlets reported Monday that Cornell faculty introduced a resolution calling for a no-confidence vote in the administration’s handling of the incident.

Yates’ investigation is the second review currently underway into how Cornell handled Jane Doe’s allegations. New York Attorney General Letitia James is conducting a criminal investigation into the incident, and a spokesperson for her office confirmed to MS NOW that the probe, which could lead to criminal charges, has begun. Her office declined to say whether James has spoken to Jane Doe.

Yates has extensive experience as a prosecutor. She served as deputy attorney general under President Barack Obama and, briefly, as acting attorney general in President Donald Trump’s first term. In 2021, she was hired to investigate allegations of abusive behavior and sexual misconduct on the U.S. women’s soccer team.

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