Requiring college students – but not the general population – to adhere to an affirmative consent, or “yes means yes” standard for sexual consent, has been a disaster. It has sent frivolous accusations flying, as well as lawsuits from students who were disciplined, claiming a lack of due process. But that hasn’t stopped supporters from claiming the policy is necessary.
Take the Monday editorial from the Daily Bruin, the student newspaper of the University of California-Los Angeles. In it, the editorial board points out that research has shown the policy to be out of touch with reality, but argues anyway that it should remain in place because it has made it “much easier for California law enforcement officials and judges to evaluate sexual assault cases and make less ambiguous, yet more ethical rulings.”
