The mandatory course treated the sexual assault prevention training like a video game
In screenshots obtained exclusively by Red Alert Politics, American University asks students hypothetical questions about sexual encounters in an online course called "Campus Clarity: Think About It." The program also asks students personal behavioral questions like how many sexual partners they've had and how often they drink.
"Alex and Jen played beer pong together and she even made out with him," the module prompts. "How then could Alex have assaulted her?" one hypothetical asks.
The material teaches that women can change their mind about consent the day after an encounter, effectively leaving women with the ability to re-write history and accuse sexual partners of inappropriate behavior despite receiving consent.
Sydney Jacobs, a former student at American University, told Red Alert Politics she was threatened with academic probation when she did not complete the online training during the Spring semester of 2017.
"As a reminder, any undergraduate student that does not meet this requirement will be referred to Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Services and be assigned an educational sanction," an email sent from the AU Wellness Center to Jacobs read in part.
Upon completing the training, Jacobs found that the mandatory course treated the sexual assault prevention training like a video game.
"Your status: N00B" the training tells students when they fail the course. "You don't seem to know much about consent at this point. This means that you should probably avoid sexual activity until you learn more. Unfortunately, you didn't collect enough points to earn the Consent Star Badge."
"I was shocked," said Jacobs. "The program explicitly says they're both too drunk to give consent but then says the man coerced the woman into a dangerous situation. The hypothetical specifically says neither gave consent but then says the woman can take certain steps towards legal options. It concludes the man likely committed sexual assault."
"I also thought it was extremely invasive that they asked how many people I've had sex with," Jacobs added. "Ultimately my problem with the whole thing is it's creating a culture on campus that it's okay to re-write history and rescind your consent when you're not happy with the outcome. People are scared to hook up without facing repercussions that aren't warranted."
The program also exists at public universities like the University of Florida and Kansas State University . Other schools, like Clemson University, have canned similar programs after coming under fire for asking their students invasive questions about their sex lives.
"This is a program that is now mandated by public schools, as in school's paid for by the taxpayer, saying that it is okay to rescind consent and then man is always at fault. That's a problem," Jacobs said.
A university official did not respond to a request for comment from Red Alert Politics inquiring into the cost of the program.
I don't know, I just try to understand, to make sense of it all and and I sure don't.