Cornell hires ex-Justice Dept official Yates to review rape chanrges

Cornell University has hired a top former US Justice Department lawyer for an internal investigation of how it handled a student's allegations that she was gang-raped, a case that has brought mounting scrutiny and triggered student protests at the Ivy League school.



Sally Yates, who served as deputy US attorney general from 2015 to 2017, will conduct an independent review of how Cornell prevents and responds to sexual assault claims, university officials said on Tuesday.



The investigation by Yates, now a partner at law firm King & Spalding, will include a “detailed review” of Cornell’s response to the student's claims that she was sexually assaulted by multiple men during a fraternity party in October 2024.



The student, referred to as Jane Doe in a lawsuit she filed against Cornell and seven fraternity members, has said the Ithaca, New York university failed to adequately investigate and punish the fraternity members involved.



Other Cornell students staged a mass rally on Monday voicing solidarity with Jane Doe and demanding that the school take firmer action against sexual violence on campus.