Following days of student protests and mounting national scrutiny over Cornell’s handling of sexual assault, the Board of Trustees has tapped former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to lead an independent investigation into the university’s response. The review will focus in part on the October 2024 Chi Phi allegations, examining how Cornell investigated the case, disciplined students, supported the survivor, and coordinated with campus police and outside law enforcement. Yates served as Deputy Attorney General under President Barack Obama and briefly as Acting Attorney General under Donald Trump. Trump fired her in 2017 after she directed Justice Department lawyers not to defend his first travel ban. She also led the landmark 2022 investigation into abuse and sexual misconduct in women’s professional soccer, which uncovered systemic failures by teams and league officials to protect players who came forward. At Cornell, Yates will also review Greek life oversight, student support resources, disciplinary procedures, and university compliance with federal and state law. Her findings will go directly to a special committee of trustees rather than Day Hall administrators, bringing outside scrutiny to a system students have spent weeks demanding be held accountable.