ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — Cornell has formed a special review committee.
The Board of Trustees announced Tuesday that Sally Yates, a former deputy US attorney general, will lead an independent review of how the university handled an alleged group sex assault in 2024. The committee also includes members of the Board of Trustees, including Chair Anne Meinig Smalling.
“Sally Yates brings extraordinary experience, independence and judgment to this work. “The questions raised by the Jane Doe matter warrant a rigorous examination of Cornell’s response to that case, but our responsibility is broader,” Smalling said. We have asked Ms. Yates and her team to examine Cornell’s overall approach to preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, identify where we are doing things well and where we can do better, and recommend changes that will help make our community safer.”
The scope of their work includes reviewing Cornell policies, how discipline is handled, and the role of campus police.
“It is imperative that Cornell be willing to examine itself with the same rigor we expect of others,” Smalling said. “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.”
No timeline was given for how long the committee’s work will take. Last week, Gov. Hochul called for an independent investigation at Cornell and appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor, removing Tompkins County DA Matt Van Houten from leading a criminal investigation of the re-opened case.
