On Jan. 24th, Osgoode Hall Law School, in Toronto, held a campus safety information chat where two male Toronto cops gave attendees a few suggestions on how to stay safe on campus.

Sounds awesome, right? And it totally would be if the Toronto Police Department hadn't sent such an ignoramus to give the talk.

While discussing ways women could avoid being sexually assaulted, the junior officer said, “You know I think we’re beating around the bush here. I’ve been told I’m not supposed to say this, however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.”

And a hush fell over the (ten person) crowd.

The Osgoode assistant dean of the Juris Doctor Program, Ronda Bessner, attended the assembly, and had this to say, “One of the safety tips was for women not to dress like ‘sluts.’ He said something like, ‘I’ve been told I shouldn’t say this,’ and then he uttered the words. I was shocked and appalled. I made contact with the police [...] and we’ve asked for a written apology and an explanation.”

She went on to say that after the meeting, she spoke with students and student groups about the officer's comment, and they all reacted in much the same way.

And well they should have! For history and research prove that sexual assault rarely has anything to do with what a person's wearing.

For better or worse, the Toronto PD is at least giving the impression that they agree. The officer was “disciplined” by the professional standards unit of the Toronto Police Service, and gave a written apology to the school.