Cornell Taps Obama-Era Official To Probe School’s Handling Of Sex Assault Claims

Cornell University tapped former Obama administration Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates on Tuesday to review its handling of sexual assault allegations, including the disputed case involving a student and seven former fraternity members. 

Yates will lead a review of Cornell’s policies, practices, and resources for preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, including how reports are received and investigated, a special committee of the university’s trustees announced.

The assessment will specifically examine Cornell’s response to allegations involving a woman identified as Jane Doe and members of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024. Her civil lawsuit against Cornell and seven former students has drawn national attention and renewed scrutiny of the university’s handling of the case. 

“Sally Yates brings extraordinary experience, independence and judgment to this work,” said Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the special committee. “The questions raised by the Jane Doe matter warrant a rigorous examination of Cornell’s response to that case, but our responsibility is broader.”

The university review is separate from the criminal investigation. New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate the allegations and, if warranted, prosecute any offenses arising from the probe.

Cornell’s announcement comes three days after university President Michael Kotlikoff vowed to take a “serious look” at the role fraternities and sororities play in campus life. 

“What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come,” Kotlikoff said in an eight-minute video statement. “My heart aches when I think of what she experienced.”

“This has been one of the most difficult weeks in our history, and I know many of you are angry, saddened, and struggling, and that those bonds are under extraordinary stress,” he added. 

Students gathered on the campus Monday to protest Cornell’s handling of the claims and call on Kotlikoff to resign. 

“Too often, we are met with silence, we are met with statements, we are met with procedures, but not enough support,” student Athena Holloway told the crowd, according to NBC. “How much does it take for our university to stand with survivors?”

In his statement, Kotlikoff acknowledged that the administration needed to improve its response to sexual misconduct.

“I want to acknowledge something that can be difficult for an institution to say: we don’t have all the answers,” Kotlikoff said. “I believe we, as an administration, and we as a community, must do better. We must do everything we can to prevent what happened to Jane Doe and everyone before her, and anyone after her, from ever happening again.”

The sex and drug-laced allegations stem from an October 2024 gathering at the Chi Phi fraternity. Jane Doe alleges she was drugged with ketamine and sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members. She informed campus police of the alleged assault three weeks later.

Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten initially declined to bring charges, saying her statement did not establish a lack of consent under state law. He later reopened the investigation following Jane Doe’s civil lawsuit, before Hochul appointed James to take over the case. All seven men have denied misconduct.

Cornell’s disciplinary proceedings have also faced a legal challenge from one former fraternity member, identified as John Doe. He alleges the university found him responsible for an offense he was never formally charged with and had no opportunity to defend himself, according to CNY Central. A judge rejected the challenge last month, finding Cornell gave adequate notice and substantially complied with its procedures, though John Doe’s legal fight is not over.

According to documents included in the lawsuit, Cornell’s hearing panel found him not responsible for sexual assault or sexual exploitation — the only two offenses he was charged with — but they found him responsible for attempted sexual exploitation, concluding that he entered the room where the alleged assault was taking place intending to observe a woman who was likely nude or engaged in sexual activity. John Doe disputes the finding and is seeking to have it overturned.

A recorded phone call between Jane Doe and fraternity member Matthew Ingalls, obtained by ABC News, offers conflicting accounts of the October encounter. Jane Doe said Ingalls knew she was “10 shots deep” and described the ordeal as “gang rape.” Ingalls disputed her account, saying she had told him she was sober that night. 

According to the DA’s office, Jane Doe’s 2024 statement described her intoxication level at the start of the encounter as “5 or 6 out of 10” and said she was “pretty OK with having this threesome.” In the recorded phone call, however, Jane Doe told Ingalls, “I remember looking up and being like, ‘That is too many people.” A Chi Phi Snapchat group chat from that night included a post telling members to “come whip it out.”  

Van Houten has said the woman’s original sworn statement described her drug use and sexual activity as voluntary, conscious, and consensual. Jane Doe’s lawsuit alleges she was drugged and assaulted. Cornell expelled Ingalls and Jonathan Newell and suspended two others. 

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