Sally Yates Reviews Cornell Rape Case as Full Police Interview Could Alter 2024 Charging Decision
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 10
Sally Yates Reviews Cornell Rape Case as Full Police Interview Could Alter 2024 Charging Decision
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 10
Summary
A full November 2024 Cornell police interview with the accuser is poised for fresh scrutiny in Sally Yates' independent review after local prosecutors said they never received it in full before initially declining charges.
The transcript shows Jane Doe told campus police she was raped with "100% confidence" and was "completely and totally incapacitated," while Tompkins County prosecutors said the six-page sworn statement they got described the sex and drug use as voluntary.
District Attorney Matthew Van Houten said the fuller interview "changes the landscape," though it remains unclear why his office did not initially receive it; Cornell said sending the sworn statement and a Snapchat screenshot followed standard protocol.
Yates, hired by Cornell's trustees after Doe's Sept. 16 lawsuit and campus protests, can review records, witnesses and digital evidence but cannot file charges; any new evidence could still be shared with New York Attorney General Letitia James' separate criminal probe.
Cornell says its own Title IX process included 50-plus interviews and 12 days of hearings, resulting in 2 expulsions, 2 suspensions, 1 graduate beyond discipline and 2 findings of no responsibility.