Sally Yates to lead Cornell review of sexual assault response in Jane Doe case Cornell University has hired former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent review of how the school handles sexual assault, including the response to a lawsuit by a woman known as Jane Doe against seven Chi Phi fraternity members. Cornell University has hired Sally Yates, a former deputy and acting U.S. attorney general, to lead an independent internal investigation into how the Ivy League school prevents and responds to sexual assault on campus, the university announced Tuesday. The review will include a detailed examination of Cornell's handling of allegations by a woman known publicly as Jane Doe, who says she was drugged and gang-raped in October 2024 at the Chi Phi fraternity house. The allegations involve seven Chi Phi fraternity members, a group that has been widely referred to as the Cornell 7.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit against the university and the seven men, she was drugged with ketamine and gang-raped after being pressured into drinking and taking drugs. No criminal charges have been filed against any of the accused students. Yates will determine whether Cornell followed its own policies and procedures in responding to Doe's claims. Her review is expected to cover the university's prevention and response procedures, student support systems, and its handling of reports, investigations, disciplinary hearings and appeals.It will also examine campus police and their coordination with other law enforcement agencies, as well as policies and oversight of fraternities, sororities 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 a newly formed Special Committee of Cornell's Board of Trustees, which announced the review. "It is imperative that Cornell be willing to examine itself with the same rigor we expect of others," Smalling said in a statement. The committee said Yates will have full independence to conduct her review.Campus Protests Target University LeadershipThe announcement followed days of outrage and large protests over Cornell's response. More than 1,000 furious protesters marched on campus Monday in support of Jane Doe and demanded the resignation of the school's president, Michael Kotlikoff. Speakers at the protests faulted fraternities, the university trustees and Kotlikoff, saying he and his administration had prioritized protecting the university's reputation over students' safety.The Chi Phi chapter at Cornell was shut down, and the university has said it expelled some students and suspended others after a Cornell disciplinary board reportedly found them responsible for sexual misconduct. Several others faced lengthy suspensions. Lawyers for two of the former students denied they participated in a sexual assault, and court records show that during Cornell's investigation under the federal Title IX law, some accused students contended the sexual activity was consensual.Attempts by The Associated Press to reach the other men or their representatives were unsuccessful. Jane Doe told campus police in November 2024 that a few weeks earlier she had been sexually assaulted by multiple Chi Phi fraternity brothers. Her lawsuit put a new nationwide spotlight on the allegations and on how campus police, the university and the local prosecutor had reacted.Satanic Ketamine Details Spark Criminal ProbeIn the lawsuit, Doe alleged that one fraternity member commanded her to snort ketamine off his erect genitalia as she was sexually attacked by others while one member texted the fraternity's Snapchat group that there was free pussy as she lay unconscious. New York Attorney General Letitia James is now conducting a criminal investigation and may soon name outside lawyers to assist.Her deputies have spoken with Jane Doe's attorney and with Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten, and James also talked to Van Houten herself, her office said Tuesday. Van Houten looked into the allegations in 2024 and brought no charges, then reopened his office's investigation after seeing Jane Doe's lawsuit. After Gov. Kathy Hochul put James on the case last week, Van Houten said he supported the appointment.Hochul also called for an independent review of Cornell's handling of the matter, the review that Yates now will lead. Before joining private practice, Yates had a decades-long career at the Justice Department, serving for years as the top federal prosecutor in Atlanta and later as deputy attorney general.Yates Previous Role with Trump AdministrationShe achieved particular prominence in January 2017 when, as acting attorney general in the early days of the Trump administration, she directed Justice Department attorneys not to defend the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's refugee and immigration ban. She was swiftly fired, with Trump accusing her of betrayal and insubordination.Yates also generated headlines when it emerged that, in a conversation days before her departure, she had expressed alarm to the Trump White House about contacts that Trump's new national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition period. Flynn later was fired. She has been in private practice at the King & Spalding law firm, where her work includes conducting independent investigations for outside organizations and companies.She led a high-profile inquiry into alleged abuse and misconduct, including claims of harassment and coercion, at the National Women's Soccer League, an investigation that concluded in 2022 with a finding of systemic abuse.