Sally Yates to Lead Internal Investigation Into Cornellβs Handling of Sexual Assault Report NYT - Home Page By: Debra Kamin 6 October 2026 at 16:00 The university hired Sally Yates, a career federal prosecutor, to investigate how it handled a former studentβs claim she was raped in 2024. Β© Steven Senne/Associated PressCornell University appointed Sally Yates, the former interim U.S. attorney general, to lead an independent investigation into how it handled rape allegations by a former student.