Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-10**Lead**
Cornell University announced last week that Sally Yates, a former acting U.S. Attorney General, will oversee an independent review of the institution’s policies and procedures regarding sexual assault and other forms of sexual misconduct. The appointment places Yates back in the national spotlight — not for her role in the Department of Justice, but for her reputation as a principled prosecutor who stood up to the Trump administration’s travel ban. Yates, who served briefly as acting attorney general in early 2017, was fired after she ordered Justice Department lawyers not to defend Executive Order 13769, which restricted travel from several Muslim-majority countries. Now, she is tasked with examining how Cornell handles sexual violence, a campus security issue that has drawn increasing scrutiny across U.S. universities.
**Context**
Sally Yates began her career as a federal prosecutor in Georgia and rose through the ranks of the Justice Department under President Barack Obama, serving as Deputy Attorney General from 2015 to 2017. In January 2017, following the resignation of Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Yates became acting attorney general until a permanent successor could be confirmed. Days after President Trump signed the travel ban, Yates sent a memo to Justice Department attorneys stating she was not convinced the order was lawful and therefore would not direct them to defend it in court. Within hours, the White House announced her firing, and Trump called her an “Obama holdover” who had “betrayed the Department of Justice.”
Yates’s stand made her a symbol of institutional independence and a target of conservative criticism. She later testified before Congress about the events, defending her decision as driven by her oath to uphold the Constitution. After leaving government, she entered private practice and served on various nonprofit boards. Her selection by Cornell to lead a review of sexual assault policies marks a return to public service of a different kind — focusing on campus safety and accountability.
The review at Cornell comes amid a broader national conversation about how universities handle sexual misconduct. Following Title IX changes under both the Obama and Trump administrations, and subsequent revisions under President Biden, schools have struggled to balance due process with victim support. Cornell’s decision to bring in an outside figure of Yates’s stature signals that the university wants a thorough and credible assessment. The review will examine past cases, current protocols, and recommendations for reform.
**Analysis**
Yates’s involvement brings two dimensions of “security” to the forefront: national security and campus security. Her refusal to defend the travel ban was rooted in questions of lawfulness and constitutional protections — a core security concern about executive power and the limits of government action. That episode established her as a figure willing to prioritize legal principles over political loyalty. In the campus context, her task is similarly about ensuring that procedures are fair, transparent, and effective in protecting individuals while respecting the rights of the accused.
The choice of Yates may also be seen as an effort by Cornell to signal seriousness. Universities often face criticism for handling sexual assault cases internally, with concerns about bias or lack of expertise. By hiring an experienced former prosecutor and senior DOJ official, Cornell aims to lend legitimacy to its review. However, critics may argue that Yates’s record on the travel ban is politically polarizing, potentially coloring perceptions of her work. Some conservative groups have already questioned whether she can be objective, given her outspoken criticism of the Trump administration.
Yet the security issues at stake — both in immigration policy and on college campuses — are fundamentally about the rule of law and institutional trust. Yates’s career reflects a consistent thread: she has taken positions that emphasize legal process and accountability, even when those positions are controversial. For Cornell, her appointment could help bridge the gap between the often adversarial worlds of law enforcement and higher education. But it also places the university at the center of ongoing debates over how to combat sexual violence without undermining due process.
**Sources**
- Cornell University official announcement (2026, October). - U.S. Department of Justice historical records on Yates’s tenure. - Congressional testimonies by Sally Yates regarding the travel ban (2017). - News reports from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Cornell Daily Sun covering Yates’s appointment and background. - Title IX federal regulations and Cornell’s existing sexual misconduct policies.