Cornell University is facing fresh scrutiny over archived sex-education materials that critics tie to an alleged fraternity gang rape.
Jared Lederman, 19, a senior applied economics major, surfaced a 2019 Cornell Health checklist titled “Yes, No, Maybe So: A Sexual Inventory Stocklist” on his Substack. The worksheet asks respondents to rate their interest in dozens of sexual activities, including “Sex of some kind(s) with three partners at a time,” “Sex of some kind(s) with more than three partners at a time,” and “Some kind of casual or occasional open/non-exclusive sexual relationship.” Other items listed include “Initiating or having sex while or after I have been drinking alcohol or other recreational drugs” and “Having a partner talk to acquaintances, family or co-workers about our sex life.”
Lederman told The Post that the university’s promotion of such material builds a “permission structure” with dangerous consequences.
“Cornell isn’t directly responsible for the alleged gang rape, but the group sex act they are endorsing could very well lead to non-consensual activity, they inherently lead to a gray area,” he said.
The checklist was part of a Cornell Sexual Health campaign that encouraged resident assistants to post materials on dorm bulletin boards through April, according to an archived university website Lederman obtained. Cornell Health also recommended related worksheets for display, including “Sexual Pleasure: Finding the ‘Sweet Spot,'” which covers BDSM, fetish gear and sex toys, and “Sensate Focus,” which discusses “mutual touching.”
Bethany Mandel, co-host of The Mom Wars podcast, tied the materials to broader campus culture in remarks to The Post.
“Progressives have insisted on blurring the boundaries on safe and healthy sexual relationships for a long time. On campus at Cornell, we’re seeing the end result of that decision,” she said.
The materials resurfaced as Cornell grapples with a civil lawsuit filed in September by a former student identified only as Jane Doe. She alleges that seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity plied her with drugs and gang raped her at an October 2024 party. According to the suit, the woman had non-consensual sex with four different men while intoxicated and under the influence of ketamine. Text messages the men allegedly sent in their fraternity group chat included “free p–sy” and “you can walk in and whip it out.”
Cornell did not respond to requests for comment on the checklist or its continued availability.