'Threats of violence' against university staff after false online claims about sex education course

Several staff at Dublin City University have allegedly suffered "targeted attacks" following a wave of misinformation online regarding an SPHE and sex education course.

The Graduate Diploma in Social, Personal and Health Education/Relationships and Sexuality Education (SPHE/RSE), run by Dublin City University’s Institute of Education, is designed to help post-primary teachers and secondary schools "in the provision of the new SPHE/RSE curriculum for junior cycle and senior cycle students," according to DCU.

In a statement, the university revealed that in recent weeks, there has been a "concerted disinformation campaign" about the SPHE and RSE course, in relation to its content that is taught to children.

The misinformation comes from a video published on YouTube, which a DCU statement says "completely misrepresented the course and the materials on it".

The viral video states that teachers in the course were shown videos of a cartoon woman masturbating, as well as other images showing sex and sexual activities between heterosexual and homosexual couples.

It also said that participants had to make sexual organs out of plasticine as part of their classroom preparation for delivering SPHE.

The video, which claimed the course included “inappropriate” and at times “satanic” coursework material, has been the subject of much online discourse in the weeks since.

The course, facilitated by staff at Dublin City University (DCU), teaches tutors and SPHE coordinators about the syllabus offered at schools, which has changed in recent years.

In a statement on Wednesday, DCU said the claims made in the online video “completely misrepresented” the material of the class and “purposefully conflates” what is taught to teachers on the Graduate Diploma programme.

The university has said it is now “exploring all legal recourse” on the matter as teaching staff faced “unacceptable” threats, slurs and “libellous remarks” online in the aftermath.

"This campaign purposefully conflates what is taught to teachers on the Graduate Diploma programme so that they have a broader knowledge of the SPHE/RSE area, and what is actually taught to secondary students in accordance with the national curriculum," DCU said in a statement.

"Supporting and safeguarding children, and educating them, according to the curriculum, is the number one priority for both teachers and DCU.

"The University materials used on the Graduate Diploma are provided only to the teachers as adults in the context of their broader SPHE/RSE education on this DCU programme. It is made clear by DCU that no graphic or explicit material is intended for use by teachers in a secondary school classroom setting.

"Any claims that say otherwise are completely false."

The university says they stand firmly over the content of the course, and stand fully behind the academic staff who deliver it.

The current SPHE curriculum at Junior cycle in Ireland was introduced last year for secondary schools, with Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) described as an "integral part" of the subject.

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