Who is Sally Yates? Cornell rape-review pick was fired by Trump after refusing to defend travel ban
Cornell University has appointed former US deputy attorney general Sally Yates to lead an independent review of how it handled sexual assault allegations. The review follows scrutiny of the university’s response to an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in October 2024.
Yates and her law firm, King & Spalding, will examine internal case files, Greek organisation oversight records, communications with law enforcement and disciplinary hearing records. Yates served for 27 years in the Justice Department and was fired by Donald Trump in January 2017 after refusing to defend his travel restrictions in court, saying she was not convinced they were lawful; she later testified in the Senate’s Russia investigation.
- Cornell chose Sally Yates to lead its sexual assault response review.
- The review follows scrutiny over an alleged 2024 fraternity rape.
- Yates was fired by Trump after refusing to defend his travel order.
New here? Start with this
Sally Yates is a US lawyer who spent 27 years in the Justice Department, including a short spell as deputy attorney general, the department’s second-highest post. In January 2017, President Donald Trump dismissed her after she told government lawyers not to defend his travel restrictions in court because she was not convinced they were lawful.
Cornell University, in New York state, has asked Yates and her law firm to review how it handled sexual assault allegations, including a report of an alleged gang rape at a fraternity house in October 2024. The review is expected to examine university case files, oversight of student social organisations, communications with police and disciplinary records.
The review matters because it could help clarify how the university dealt with the allegations and whether its procedures were followed. Yates also later testified in a Senate investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election.