We need stronger sexual health education — the ‘Cornell 7’ case shows why

The allegations surrounding the so-called Cornell 7 have attracted growing public attention and political scrutiny around the world, exposing persistent misunderstandings about consent and sexual violence.

According to a civil lawsuit filed by a student identified as “Jane Doe,” seven fraternity members allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted her over several hours in October 2024.

Reportedly, a Snapchat group of more than 50 fraternity members is accused of circulating photos and messages about Jane Doe during the alleged assault.

One message described a woman upstairs as available for “free” sex ; another member later asked “Shop still open?” and received the response, “Yea.” According to Jane Doe’s attorney, no one who saw the messages intervened to stop the assault .

Some media coverage of the case has fuelled rape myths about false reporting and contributed to victim blaming.

An opinion piece in USA Today critiqued Jane Doe’s changing accounts of what happened and ended with the line: “Regretting one’s bad decisions is a far cry from rape.” The case reflects broader problems of deeply ingrained misogyny, misunderstandings of consent and persistent myths about sexual violence.

It also raises questions beyond Cornell about what we’re doing as educators to ensure young people understand consent, bodily autonomy and healthy relationships before they reach university.

Comprehensive sexual health education There is an urgent need for comprehensive, responsive and compulsory sexual health education in public schools.

Comprehensive sexual education can reduce sexual violence, gender-based discrimination and homophobic and transphobic violence , while helping students understand how to foster healthy relationships.

Yet the time dedicated to sexual health education in K-12 schools across Canada is limited .

Provincial curriculums do not live up to human rights standards, research-informed evidence or the Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education .

Five provinces offer parental opt-out policies for sexual health education, and one province , Alberta, requires opt-in parental permission for sexuality-related content.

Manitoba recently announced a long-awaited update to its Physical Education and Health Curriculum .

The updated curriculum, which was applauded by the Sexuality Education Resource Centre of Manitoba , includes topics such as consent, bodily autonomy and broader understandings of health.