Cornell faces questions over alleged sexual assault case
Fox News correspondent Nate Foy reports on the latest developments in the Cornell University sexual assault allegations, including the ongoing investigation and growing calls for New York Attorney General Letitia James to transfer the case, on ‘Special Report.’
Cornell University has appointed former Deputy U.S. Attorney Sally Yates to review how the institution has handled sexual assault allegations and cases.
Cornell announced Tuesday that the review will examine the university’s policies for preventing sexual assault and responding to reports of misconduct.
Yates will also conduct a “detailed review of the University’s response to the allegations involving Jane Doe and members of the Chi Phi fraternity in October 2024, including whether Cornell followed its policies and procedures in responding to the matter.”
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 13: Sally Yates speaks on stage at the 2018 Women In The World Summit at Lincoln Center on April 13, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)
“The review will examine Cornell’s policies, practices and resources across the full range of prevention and response, including how reports are received and investigated; how students are supported; how hearings, disciplinary decisions and appeals are handled; the role, processes and response of campus police; coordination with other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors; campus safety reporting; and policies and oversight involving fraternities, sororities and other student organizations. It will also examine the Board’s oversight of these issues,” Cornell said in a statement.
Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the Cornell University Special Committee of the Board of Trustees, said Yates would carry out a “rigorous examination” of the university’s response as student demonstrations spread across campus this week.
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The Chi Phi fraternity house stands on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, N.Y., on Oct. 2, 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)
“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 in a statement. “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.”
A lawsuit accuses seven former Chi Phi fraternity members of drugging and raping a female Cornell student during a night involving alcohol, drugs and group sex at the fraternity house in October 2024.
The accuser, referred to as Jane Doe in court documents, claims the men sexually assaulted her after she arrived intoxicated and was pressured to take ketamine and other substances. The men have denied wrongdoing. Some say the sexual activity was consensual, while others deny taking part. No criminal charges have been filed against the seven men.
Students protest on Ho Plaza at Cornell University, Monday October 5, 2026 in Ithaca, NY. in response to an The protest in response to an alleged sexual assault in 2024, accused are some members of the Chi Phi fraternity. (Richard Beetham for News Outlet)
The dispute has escalated into a political and legal firestorm. New York Attorney General Letitia James said Friday that her office is pursuing an “active criminal investigation” after Gov. Kathy Hochul designated the Office of the Attorney General as special prosecutor. Separately, Cornell has agreed to hire outside counsel for an independent examination of its handling of the allegations.
The controversy centers on sharply different accounts of the October 2024 incident. Those differences include what Doe reported in the weeks afterward, the information prosecutors say they received from Cornell police and the serious allegations outlined in a lawsuit filed nearly two years later.
