ITHACA, N.Y. – Under mounting fire over its handling of a civil lawsuit alleging a 2024 fraternity gang rape, Cornell University announced Tuesday, Oct. 6 that former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will lead an independent review into the school’s sexual misconduct policies and campus response.
The high-profile appointment follows days of escalating student protests, a faculty-led push for a vote of no confidence against university leadership and new revelations detailing the internal disciplinary measures given to seven student defendants.
Scope of independent review
What we know:
According to a statement released by Cornell’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Yates’ review will examine the university’s handling of reports, campus police investigations, Greek life oversight, student discipline and Board of Trustees governance.
What they’re saying:
“The questions raised by the Jane Doe matter warrant a rigorous examination of Cornell’s response to that case, but our responsibility is broader,” Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the newly-formed Special Committee of the Cornell University Board of Trustees said in a statement.
“It is imperative that Cornell be willing to examine itself with the same rigor we expect of others,” she added. “We want to understand not just what happened in 2024, but how Cornell can become a leader in preventing sexual violence, supporting those who come forward and responding to allegations rigorously, fairly and compassionately.”
“We welcome the appointment of Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct this review,” Thomas Giuffra, the attorney representing the alleged victim in the civil suit, wrote in a statement provided to FOX 5 NY. “However, an investigation is only as good as the transparency of the institution being investigated. We expect that Cornell will actively engage in this investigation and grant Ms. Yates full access to all records generated in this case.”
Giuffra added that his client plans to participate in the process to push for campus-wide reforms.
“Ms. Doe and I look forward to cooperating fully with Ms. Yates,” he said. “Out of this tragedy, we hope that procedures will be implemented so that the women of Cornell feel safe, supported and protected.”
The university’s internal review will proceed alongside a parallel state-level action. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to take over oversight of the ongoing criminal investigation.
National fraternity responds
The other side:
In a statement provided to FOX 5 NY, National Chi Phi Fraternity Interim Executive Director Trey Robb condemned sexual assault “in the strongest possible terms” and noted that the fraternity acted immediately to expel the accused students.
“Our records confirm that just three days after ‘Jane Doe’ filed a police report, the Xi chapter voted unanimously to remove the accused members from its rolls,” Robb said, adding that the Grand Council permanently expelled them.
Robb also distanced the national office from daily chapter operations, stating headquarters relies on local reporting and “does not have day-to-day operational control of our chapters.”
Cornell protests and governance pushback
Dig deeper:
The announcement of Yates’ appointment follows a flurry of other recent developments in the case.
On Monday, Oct. 5, a crowd of more than 1,000 students and faculty members assembled on campus to demonstrate against the administration’s handling of the allegations. According to reporting by The Cornell Daily Sun—the student newspaper whose initial coverage brought widespread scrutiny to the case—some demonstrators broke glass at the entrance to Day Hall and spray-painted messages on the building’s exterior walls.
As reported by The Associated Press, demonstrators carried signs reading “support survivors, expel rapists” and “Justice 4 every Jane Doe,” while calling directly for the resignation of Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff.
Addressing the campus in a video message released Saturday, Oct. 3, Kotlikoff called the allegations “deeply disturbing.” He voiced support for both an independent probe into the university’s administrative response and Gov. Hochul’s decision to assign Attorney General James to the criminal probe.
Kotlikoff added that Cornell would support state legislative efforts to reform New York’s sexual assault laws, promising operational transparency and a comprehensive review of campus and fraternity culture.
Meanwhile, institutional pressure continues to build internally. Members of the Cornell University Faculty Senate have submitted a draft resolution seeking a vote of no confidence against top university leadership, according to The New York Times.
Internal disciplinary records and Cornell leadership response
Big picture view:
Top university administrators also confronted intense questioning during a Monday meeting with the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, according to The Cornell Daily Sun.
President Michael Kotlikoff and Vice President Ryan Lombardi acknowledged the widespread campus anger, but maintained that federal privacy laws legally prevent university officials from publicly releasing or confirming specific student disciplinary files—even as leaked records reported by The Cornell Daily Sun have circulated.
FOX 5 NY has reached out to representatives for the named individuals and relevant parties for comment and will update this story as responses are received.
The Source: Information sourced from a Cornell University Board of Trustees statement, a statement from attorney Thomas Giuffra, The Cornell Daily Sun, The New York Times and FOX 5 NY reporting.