Dublin City University (DCU) has announced that it is exploring all legal avenues after staff members involved in delivering a training course for the new Social, Personal and Health Education/Relationships and Sexuality Education (SPHE/RSE) curriculum were subjected to a wave of targeted threats, abuse, and defamation. The university highlighted that this backlash stemmed from a disinformation campaign misrepresenting the nature of the course content.

The SPHE curriculum, which includes topics such as mental health, consent, sexuality, and respectful relationships, has been the focus of attacks by certain religious and anti-trans groups in Ireland in recent years. The Graduate Diploma in SPHE/RSE, which is funded by the Department of Education and run by DCU’s Institute of Education, aims to equip secondary school teachers with the skills to navigate these complex subjects with sensitivity and professionalism.

Recently, a video titled ‘SPHE Teacher’s Whistleblower Interview – What Happens in the Classroom Stays in the Classroom’ went viral, accumulating over 435,000 views. In the video, a former teacher Mary Creedon, who attended the course, alleged that explicit and inappropriate materials were being promoted for classroom use.

The teacher claimed that during the training, she was shown a video of a cartoon character masturbating, along with other depictions of sexual activity between both heterosexual and homosexual couples. Creedon also outlined another exercise in which teachers are asked to critique statements that include references to orgasms and sexual activity with multiple partners.

Additionally, she criticised the inclusion of discussions around gender identity, calling it a “flawed” aspect of the curriculum.

The video further alleged that the course endorsed research suggesting it is acceptable to watch pornography.

Creedon, who is associated with the Irish Education Alliance—a group critical of transgender education—has previously argued that such topics should not be part of the SPHE curriculum.

In January 2023, she was interviewed on Newstalk’s The Hard Shoulder to discuss what were, at the time, proposed changes to the SPHE curriculum. She was there as a representative of the Irish Education Alliance, and claimed that teaching children about transgender people is “extreme”. The group’s website also includes anti-vax information, as well as open letters against Ireland’s LGBTQ+ youth organisation, Belong To.

DCU firmly rejected the false claims made in the video and stood in support of its staff following “unacceptable threats of violence, misogynistic and homophobic slurs, and libellous remarks being made on social media, in comment sections on articles about the course and over email.”

The university clarified that the curriculum is designed to offer teachers a comprehensive understanding of SPHE/RSE topics, ensuring they are prepared to guide students through important discussions on mental health, relationships, consent, and well-being in an age-appropriate and sensitive manner.

In response to the disinformation campaign, DCU stressed that the content delivered to students adheres strictly to national curriculum guidelines and does not include any graphic or explicit materials. The university expressed strong support for the academic staff responsible for delivering the course, reaffirming its commitment to the program and exploring legal options to address the defamatory attacks.

The statement highlighted the importance of the SPHE/RSE curriculum in supporting young people during a challenging time in their lives, helping them navigate essential issues around personal development, well-being, and respectful relationships. DCU condemned the threats and abuse directed at its staff delivering the SPHE programme and described them as wholly unacceptable.