Controversy Over Live Sex Demo at Northwestern University's 'Human Sexuality' Class

Evanston, Ill. - More than 100 Northwestern students watched as a naked woman was penetrated by a sex toy wielded by her boyfriend during an after-class session of the school’s popular “Human Sexuality” class.

The demo, which was optional, was part of the popular class taught by Prof. John Michael Bailey, the Sun-Times is reporting. More than 600 students take the class, which the course description says “will treat human sexuality as a subject for scientific inquiry.”

The woman involved in the demonstration was not a student, according to the Daily Northwestern, NU's student newspaper.

“Her boyfriend did the penetration on her,” said Ken Melvoin-Berg, who narrated what was happening for the class. He operates the “Weird Chicago Red Light District Sex Tour.”

In an email, Northwestern defended the class and its professor.

“Northwestern University faculty members engage in teaching and research on a wide variety of topics, some of them controversial and at the leading edge of their respective disciplines,” said spokesman Alan Cubbage. “The University supports the efforts of its faculty to further the advancement of knowledge.”

Bill Yarber, a researcher at Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute and author of the widely used textbook "Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America," said he’s never heard of a naked woman being brought to orgasm in front of a class of students.

“They way you present it there is very unconventional,” he said. “There’s certain boundaries of things, I think, that are acceptable and that would certainly be pushing that.”

Bailey could not be reached for comment.

The Daily Northwestern quoted Bailey as saying,“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but watching naked people on stage doing pleasurable things will never hurt you.”