When Antioch College introduced its “Sexual Offense Prevention Policy” in 1996 it was widely ridiculed as a joke for provisions such as this:

“Obtaining consent is an on-going process in any sexual interaction. Verbal consent should be obtained with each new level of physical and/or sexual behavior in any given interaction, regardless of who initiates it. Asking “Do you want to have sex with me?” is not enough. The request for consent must be specific to each act.”

It’s like that annoying guy in the wireless phone commercials, but instead of saying “can you hear me now?” Antioch students would have to say every few seconds “can I touch you now?”

But maybe Antioch was simply ahead of the social and legal curve. The AP is now reporting an interesting development in sexual offense law:

A new rape law in Illinois attempts to clarify the issue of consent by emphasizing that people can change their mind while having sex. Under the law, if someone says “no” at any time the other person must stop or it becomes rape.

That sounds pretty similar to the Antioch code:

… If someone has initially consented but then stops consenting during a sexual interaction, she/he should communicate withdrawal of consent verbally (example: saying “no” or “stop”) and/or through physical resistance (example: pushing away). The other individual(s) must stop immediately.

These are things to keep in mind as we watch the Kobe Bryant case unfold, a case that will in all likelihood get far uglier before it is resolved.