Bonus: What Cornell Says About “Duty Of Care”
Summary
In this Slate Plus episode, Lizzie O’Leary and a co-host discuss the Cornell sexual assault case, analyzing the civil suit, the role of digital group chats, and New York’s high legal burden for proving incapacitation. They explore the broader implications for campus safety, the toxicity of fraternity culture, and the challenges of teaching consent and duty of care to children in the digital age.
Topics discussed
Intro, Slate Plus thanks, and Pledge Week promo
Why the Cornell story is being discussed now
Content warning and overview of the civil suit allegations
The digital aftermath: group chats and social media reactions
Parental perspectives on kids, phones, and online 'soup'
How the story evolved: rumors, trauma, and changing narratives
The difficulty of litigating unknown facts and media reactions
Timeline: ER visit, police report, and the DA's decision
New York law on incapacitation and consent burdens
Harm reduction, data on danger, and the role of fraternities
Harvard Crimson editorial: consent, pornification, and sex positivity
Moral education, duty of care, and hierarchical systems
Teaching consent to young children and enthusiastic yes
Widening the conversation beyond this specific case
Why this story resonates and the challenge of public discourse
Closing thoughts: teaching empathy and having hard conversations
Sign-off and credits
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