College under fire over sex questions

• Clemson's "Title IX" online training included questions about sex, alcohol and drug use


• "How many times have you had sex in past three months?" among questions asked


• Students said they were concerned over how the responses would be used


• Clemson says questions were anonymous, would be used to improve education programs

(CNN) -- Clemson University suspended a mandatory online course that asked students and faculty about their sex lives and drinking habits following backlash from the school community.

The South Carolina public university started using the third-party online course this semester as part of required "Title IX training" on sexual violence prevention. Questions such as: "How many times have you had sex?" and "With how many different people have you had sex?" raised privacy concerns among students.

Clemson junior Machaella Reisman said she appreciates the school's efforts to educate the community on sexual violence prevention, especially in light of recent headlines related to domestic violence in the NFL. But, schools should be able to educate students without asking how many times they've had sex in the past three months, or if drugs or alcohol were involved, Reisman said.

"This is not information that I discuss with my friends, let alone information I feel the need to disclose to the school or whoever the third-party source may be," Reisman, 20, told CNN in an email. "As a questionnaire that is supposed to serve the purpose of educating students on gender equality to prevent sexual violence, why should there be questions regarding how much sex a student has had and if they used drugs, alcohol, or a condom?"

The controversy comes as schools across the country are experimenting with new approaches to sexual harassment prevention and education to comply with federal law. Sexual violence prevention in higher education has been a priority mind for schools across the country amid widespread allegations that schools mishandled sexual misconduct incidents in violation of federal law.

Mandatory sexual violence education programming is common in schools nationwide. The University of California-Berkeley said this week that at least 500 freshman could face holds on spring registration if they do not complete mandatory sexual harassment training this semester.

The White House launched a task force earlier this year dedicated to the issue, and unveiled a new public awareness and education campaign on Friday called "It's On Us." The program, which President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announced Friday, aims to engage students and colleges to take active roles in preventing sexual assault on campus.

Clemson's Title IX training module was stirring debate on campus as more people started taking it, Reisman said. A Campus Reform article on the program brought the conversation to the national level, prompting Clemson to suspend the program Wednesday pending further "review and revision."

"We felt it was important to take those concerns seriously," Shannon Finning, dean of students and associate vice president for Student Affairs, told CNN.

"We are very committed to not only meeting federal requirements, but also assuring that we will provide critically important training and education to all members of our community."

Reisman also questioned the extent to which her responses would be treated anonymously considering she used her name and student ID number to register for the online course. But Finning said the responses were "captured anonymously" and would not be identifiable by the school or CampusClarity, the vendor that created the module.

"At the conclusion, we would gather it in aggregate and it would give us a better picture of campus culture and give us an opportunity to identify additional educational and training needs."

The questions were included among other slides related to campus resources and exercises in how to deal with potential scenarios, Finning said. On the whole, the course was intended to address requirements under Title IX to make students aware of resources for dealing with sexual violence and how to report sexual misconduct, she said.

Schools that receive federal funding are required under the Violence Against Women Act to provide sexual violence education to new and returning students and employees. Guidance under Title IX issued by the Office for Civil Rights in 2001 and 2014 also makes clear that schools should be providing educational programs on sexual violence to their student body, said Nancy Chi Cantalupo with the professional group Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Surveys are not required by Title IX and VAWA, and schools do not have to purchase surveys or educational programs from third parties, Cantalupo said. There are several models schools can adapt, including White House guidelines.

"By designing their own survey, schools can insure that the survey questions are non-invasive" Cantalupo said.

'Deadbeat' parents shamed online

A newly created Facebook page alleges to expose absentee parents in Kenya.

• A family lawyer describes the page as a legal minefield


• The page's founder says it helps women struggling to raise children alone


• Lawyer: Take absentee parents to court; but page's founder calls court process inefficient

(CNN) -- Private parental disputes in Kenya are going online -- and viral.

Single parents in the East African nation are turning to a new Facebook page to share their outrage against people they claim abandoned their offspring.

The page, dubbed Dead Beat Kenya, purports to expose absentee parents. It includes information that would make most privacy advocates cringe.

Brash and in-your-face, administrators post pictures, phone numbers, employers and other private details of the alleged absentee parents, prompting a collective shudder nationwide.

No one is safe, either: Local politicians, women, even celebrities are getting named and shamed.

Jackson Njeru, the founder of Dead Beat Kenya, said he started it after seeing women struggle to raise children alone. He works at his family's farming business but runs the page on the side with help from a couple of volunteer administrators.

"This thing is happening in all families -- we have people getting kids and running away," he said. "Our kids are being violated."

CNN reached out to some of the alleged absentee fathers named on the page, but they all declined to comment.

'It's a challenge to verify'

Before he posts anything on the page, Njeru said, he asks the person making the accusation to provide evidence such as a birth certificate or any communication between the two parties. He also calls the accused and gives them a chance to defend themselves.

"We call both parties. It's a challenge to verify," he said. "But I remind people that they'll be sued for defamation if they make false accusations."

And the accusations are coming in fast and furious. And so are numerous lawsuit threats against him.

But Njeru said he's not worried, and he stands by his posts.

"For me it's all about the children. If I'm going to be jailed about the children, let it be," he said.

So far, the group has resolved about 25 cases offline, he said, after alleged absentee fathers stepped up to the plate during an initial verification call.

If a resolution is reached after the alleged absentee parent's information is posted, administrators take down the post.

A legal minefield

Ray Tollo, who practices family law in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, said the page is a legal minefield.

"The issue that I would consider first is defamation," he said. "In Kenya, the defamation law is wide-ranging and encompasses not just things you read in the papers, but social media as well."

And even if the information is verified, he said, there are other avenues to consider before blasting someone's personal details on social media.

Some of the children caught up in the public shaming are teenagers, which catches them at an emotionally vulnerable time in their lives.

"The child might go through trauma, embarrassment and a lot of other future problems," Tollo said.

Tollo said there are other options: Parents can contact a children's court, which has government officials equipped to deal with such cases, he said. They can also talk to local elders such as chiefs and church leaders, who are widely respected in some communities.

And if all else fails, they can contact a lawyer, he said.

Long, costly process

Judy Thongori, another family attorney in Nairobi, said parents should try to resolve issues in person first.

If that fails, she said, there's a court system in place to help aggrieved parties.

Resorting to social media may strong-arm an absentee parent into providing financial support, but it also alienates him or her from the child, Thongori said.

"Though he could provide for the child as a result of that exposure, remember participation is not just financial, it's also physical and emotional," she said.

However, she admitted that going to court is a long, painstaking and costly process.

"It's a fact that our courts are not as efficient as we'd like them to be ... they are overwhelmed because there are so many cases of such," she said.

'Their rights to pursue their interests'

Njeru said the courts are not just inefficient, they are rife with corruption, giving the wealthier parent an advantage.

"The aggrieved mothers and fathers who publish information on this page reserve their rights to pursue their interests for care, custody and maintenance of the abandoned children," he said.

In just a week's time, Dead Beat Kenya has attracted about 180,000 members.

Njeru said he has no plans to take it down.

Shonda Rhimes' Twitter firestorm

A New York Times critic felt the biting criticism of TV doyenne Shonda Rhimes Friday after a Times story referred to the "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" powerhouse as "an angry black woman." "I didn't know I was one!" Rhimes replied in a series of tweets. "I'm 'angry' AND a ROMANCE WRITER?!! I'm going to need to put down the Internet and go dance this one out."

Rihanna is steaming. A song by the singer -- who was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009 -- was pulled from "Thursday Night Football" in September 2014 amid coverage of domestic violence and the Ray Rice scandal. She later tweeted, "CBS you pulled my song last week, now you wanna slide it back in this Thursday? NO, F*** you! Y'all are sad for penalizing me for this."

It appears that Jennifer Hudson does not want to be associated with reports about her half-brother, Stephen Angelo Simpson, being arrested in the stabbing of his estranged wife's boyfriend. She tweeted, "Media pls stop reporting shhh that has absolutely nothing to do with me ! Very offended." Hudson's mother, brother and nephew were killed in 2008 by her former brother-in-law.

Don't mess with George Clooney's family -- or his fiancee. The actor made a personal response to the UK's Daily Mail on July 9 after spotting an article in the paper about his soon-to-be-bride, Amal Alamuddin, and her mother. With the paper said that Clooney's future mother-in-law was trying to stop the wedding, Clooney quickly fought back, calling the article "dangerous" and "completely fabricated." The actor won this round; The Daily Mail swiftly deleted the piece.

Joan Rivers' interview with CNN's Fredricka Whitfield on July 5 went awry when Rivers took offense to Whitfield's line of questioning about her new book and walked out on the Q&A. Speaking to "Access Hollywood" after her angry exit, Rivers said she felt like she was being interrogated. "It's not the Nuremberg Trials. She was going at me so negatively. ... It's a funny book," Rivers said. "It's like, you don't say to the Olsen twins, 'What's your favorite place to vomit?' ... I really did get mad."

James Franco lashed out at The New York Times and its theater critic, Ben Brantley, over a lukewarm review of the "Of Mice and Men" Broadway revival in which Franco stars. "Brantley is such a little b****," the actor said in an Instagram takedown that he later removed -- but not before it was screengrabbed for posterity.

Alec Baldwin is another actor who readily battles with the press. From the New York Times to MSNBC and TMZ, Baldwin is never at a loss for words.

Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean called Larry King "inappropriate" on CNN in 2009 during his show and took her mic off. Prejean was on to discuss the controversy over her statements that marriage is between a man and a woman, a sex tape and being stripped of her crown. Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump later said he was puzzled by her behavior.

In January 2013, director Quentin Tarantino was doing press for his film "Django Unchained" when Britain's Channel 4 reporter Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked him whether he thinks movie violence can lead to actual violence. Unreceptive to the insinuation about his movies, Tarantino shot back, "You can't make me dance to your tune. I'm not a monkey" and "I'm shutting your butt down!"

Samuel L. Jackson is not Laurence Fishburne, and he's been very clear about that. In February 2014, Jackson scolded CNN affiliate KTLA's Sam Rubin for making that mistake.

In 2010, Mel Gibson was being interviewed about his film "Edge of Darkness" by WGN Chicago reporter Dean Richards when Richards asked about scandals including his drinking problem and an anti-Semitic rant. "That's almost four years ago, dude. I've moved on. I guess you haven't," Gibson said. The actor could be heard calling Richards an a**hole at the conclusion.

In March 2014, late night host and comic Chelsea Handler challenged CNN's Piers Morgan, calling him unfocused. "You can't even pay attention for 60 seconds," she said. "You're a terrible interviewer."

Who can forget the 2005 "Today Show" interview when Tom Cruise, taking exception to Matt Lauer's questions, accused the host of being "glib"? "Matt, you're glib. ... You don't even know what Ritalin is," Cruise said during a discussion about prescription drugs. It was a little tense.

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• Shonda Rhimes called "angry black woman" in New York Times piece


• Rhimes surprised by description, strikes back on Twitter


• Others also wonder where label came from


• Rhimes is one of TV's leading showrunners

(CNN) -- Call Shonda Rhimes an "angry black woman" if you want, but be prepared for the response.

A Twitter firestorm erupted Friday morning when New York Times writer Alessandra Stanley described Rhimes, the producer of ABC's "Scandal," "Grey's Anatomy" and the new "How to Get Away with Murder," by using the term "angry black woman" in a feature about her.

"When Shonda Rhimes writes her autobiography, it should be called 'How to Get Away With Being an Angry Black Woman,' " Stanley wrote. The story later observed, "Ms. Rhimes has embraced the trite but persistent caricature of the Angry Black Woman, recast it in her own image and made it enviable."

Immediately, the Internet reacted, led by a bemused Rhimes, who observed that she didn't create "How to Get Away with Murder."

"Confused why @nytimes critic doesn't know identity of CREATOR of show she's reviewing," she tweeted in response to a tweet from Pete Nowalk, who did create the series. (Incidentally, Nowalk -- a former "Grey's" staffer -- is a white male.)

Confused why @nytimes critic doesn't know identity of CREATOR of show she's reviewing

— Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Rhimes was just getting started.

"Apparently we can be 'angry black women' together, because I didn't know I was one either! @petenowa #LearnSomethingNewEveryday," she continued.

Apparently we can be 'angry black women' together, because I didn't know I was one either! @petenowa #LearnSomethingNewEveryday

— Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

And, noting that Stanley had highlighted a rant from "Scandal's" Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) as illustrative of Rhimes' own perceived anger, she wondered why other rants by white characters don't get the same attention.

"Final thing: (then I am gonna do some yoga): how come I am not 'an angry black woman' the many times Meredith (or Addison!) rants? @nytimes," she tweeted.

"Grey's" star Ellen Pompeo, who plays Meredith Grey on "Grey's Anatomy," agreed.

"Didn't Meredith Grey (Medusa) and Christina Yang also terrify and intimidate medical students?" she tweeted.

Final thing: (then I am gonna do some yoga): how come I am not "an angry black woman" the many times Meredith (or Addison!) rants? @nytimes

— Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 19, 2014

Others also lit into the Times piece.

"Wow," tweeted "Scandal's" Joshua Malina. "Did I just read a @nytimes piece that reduced my brilliant, creative, compassionate, thoughtful, bada** boss to an 'angry black woman?'"

Malina's co-star Washington gave a more pointed response, referring the Times to two articles that dispute the "angry black woman" label.

Dear @nytimes http://t.co/20dzCSLKsx AND http://t.co/VJQ7n0Ujdn You're welcome. Love, K-Dub

— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) September 19, 2014

"So Shonda Rhimes is 'angry black woman' but Aaron Sorkin 'delivers an opinionated speech' and 'forceful denunciation'," posted Sarah Kendzior of "The Newsroom's" writer and creator, who's also fond of rants.

So Shonda Rhimes is 'angry black woman' but Aaron Sorkin 'delivers an opinionated speech' and 'forceful denunciation'

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) September 19, 2014

"Too many thoughts on the Shonda-Rhimes-Is-An-Angry-Black-Woman debacle. Mostly: REALLY, @nytimes?!" added Rachel Simon.

Too many thoughts on the Shonda-Rhimes-Is-An-Angry-Black-Woman debacle. Mostly: REALLY, @nytimes?!

— Rachel Simon(@Rachel_Simon) September 19, 2014

Stanley wondered what all the fuss was about.

"The whole point of the piece -- once you read past the first 140 characters -- is to praise Shonda Rhimes for pushing back so successfully on a tiresome but insidious stereotype," she said in a statement.

CNN's Doug Ganley contributed to this report.

Dem gets name pulled off ballot

• Dems pulled their candidate from the ballot to help Orman unseat the sitting Republican


• Orman hasn't said which party he would caucus with in the Senate


• He's told supporters he wants to be a mediator between the two parties


• Many believe he'd caucus with Democrats, but he'll face slim re-election chances if he does

Washington (CNN) -- The Democratic candidate running for Senate in Kansas took his case to the state Supreme Court this week to get his name off the ballot. And he won.

By pulling their candidate, Democrats are hoping independent candidate Greg Orman will unseat Republican Sen. Pat Roberts and join the Democratic caucus in the Senate.

Despite that support, Orman hasn't yet said who he'll caucus with if he wins.

But one thing is clear: the Kansas Senate election that was supposed to be over after the Republican primary is now a serious threat to Republicans, who have held onto Kansas' Senate seats for the last 80 years.

It could also tip the balance of the Senate in a year when Republicans are hoping to take control of the chamber for the first time since 2006, meaning they'll get to chair committees, decide what bills get a vote and overall set the political agenda.

Orman: Independent or Democrat-in-disguise?

Orman hasn't said which party he would caucus with in the Senate, but he's indicated that his success can get Kansas a sweet deal, whichever side he decides to bat for. This is not an entirely novel strategy. Sen. Angus King won election in Maine as an independent candidate in 2012 and went on to vote mostly with Democrats.

By putting a solidly Republican state into contention, Republicans will have to work harder if they hope to wrest control of the Senate from Democratic hands -- which is a serious possibility this cycle -- and Orman's betting he can leverage his independence to help his would-be constituents.

"There's a reasonable chance that neither party will have a majority. And if that happens that's a great thing for Kansas. It gives Kansans the opportunity to define the agenda," Orman says in a sleek campaign video as inspirational music plays in the background.

Orman has been registered with both parties in the past, most recently running for the Senate in 2008 as a Democrat, and his campaign insists he's spent more time as an independent than as a member of either party.

Orman has said he will "caucus with whichever party is willing to solve our country's problems, whichever party is willing to put forward a real, true problem-solving agenda," but indicated that he could make a switch if partisan moves persist.

"We'll also be in a position to hold that party accountable," Orman says in the video.

Kansas campaign shake-up

CNN Poll: Key senate race a dead heat

Sigh of relief for Kansas Republicans

But Roberts' campaign is doing its best to paint Orman as a Democrat trying to win election in a red state by taking off his blue label.

The incumbent's campaign website points out Orman's donations to Democratic groups -- including donations to Majority Leader Harry Reid, then-Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton in 2007, all of which are listed in the Federal Elections Committee database.

But Orman's political donations have spanned the political map, and his campaign pointed out donations to Republican Scott Brown's 2010 bid for Senate in Massachusetts as well as donations to the National Republican Congressional Committee. His campaign also highlighted contributions to coalition-building and problem-solving groups like Americans Elect -- for whom Orman cut a $25,000 check.

Winning the moderates

And while Orman seems to have gained covert support from Democratic leadership, he's also picked up support from a group of moderate Kansas Republicans that includes former Kansas Republican Party chairs and top state legislators who say Roberts and Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback have moved too far to the right.

The group, Traditional Republicans for Common Sense, was attracted to Orman's problem-solving mentality and dissatisfaction with Washington gridlock, Rochelle Chronister, the group's spokeswoman, said.

In a meeting before the group endorsed him, Orman said he was unhappy with both parties and hoped to become a go-between for the two parties.

And even if Orman decides to caucus with the Democrats on legislative business, Chronister, who spent 17 years in the state legislature and chaired the Kansas Republican Party in the late '80s, said her group wouldn't feel slighted.

"If he can figure out a way to make things work, I don't think we care," Chronister said. "We're just sick to death of what's going on."

Orman's success with moderate Republicans can be tied to dissatisfaction in Kansas with a governor and state legislature that has moved too far to the right, said Nathaniel Birkhead, a political science professor at Kansas State University.

And Birkhead cited Roberts' anti-regulation, anti-spending vote against the farm bill as a mistake in an agricultural state like Kansas. Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, the state's second senator, voted for the bill.

"It's a very solidly Republican state, but we're seeing the voters try and turn the thermostat down a bit," Birkhead, who focuses on state and legislative politics, said.

Birkhead summed up Orman's appeal: "He's not a Democrat and he's not Pat Roberts."

But if Orman chooses to caucus with Democrats in the Senate, Birkhead said he likely wouldn't get reelected.

Republican strategist Matt Keelen said the Republican establishment has no doubt Orman will caucus with Democrats if elected.

"He's trying to play it as close to the vest as possible in the hopes that people believe that he is not sure of where he is going to caucus," Keelen said. "Based on all their experience with him in the state, they don't believe he's going to caucus with [Republicans]."

Keelen agreed that if Orman decides to bat for Democrats in the Senate, Orman would become the "number-one Republican target in six years," when he would be up for re-election.

"He'd be a one-term senator if he were to caucus with the Democrats," Keelen said.

What can Democrats do?

Democratic strategist Steve Murphy said Democrats have already done all they can do to help Orman take the Kansas seat -- they've cleared the field.

And while Democrats do need to submit a nominee for the ballot, it's unlikely that candidate would pull as much support away from Orman as former nominee Chad Taylor would have.

Now, Murphy said Democrats just need to let Orman win the election as an independent without any overt Democratic support.

"There's a perfect way for Democrats to buoy his candidacy and that's to stay out of the way," Murphy said.

And while Orman seems fine caucusing with either party when he gets to the Senate, voters could also be attracted to a candidate who wants to stay away from both parties.

"He might be able to get a sweeter deal by not caucusing with anybody," Murphy said.

Spacecraft to arrive at Mars

A new NASA spacecraft called MAVEN, short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, will help scientists figure out what happened to the red planet's atmosphere. It's elliptical orbit will allow it to pass through and sample the entire upper atmosphere of Mars. This drawing shows Maven orbiting Mars.

Is this ancient Mars? An artist shows how Mars might have looked billions of years ago. MAVEN will be the first mission devoted to exploring and understanding the Martian upper atmosphere. Scientists hope it will solve the mystery of the red planet's missing air and water.

Engineers and technicians work on MAVEN at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "After 10 years of working on this, I can't tell you how excited I am to see this finished spacecraft ready to go," said the mission's principal investigator, Bruce Jakosky.

Workers on November 2 get MAVEN ready to be placed inside the nosecone that will protect it during launch. NASA says the project will cost $671 million.

A transporter moves MAVEN to the launchpad November 8. MAVEN is NASA's 10th Mars orbiter to be launched. Three didn't make it to orbit.

MAVEN is lifted on top of a rocket for launch. Three other active spacecrafts currently orbit Mars: Mars Odyssey (launched in 2001), Mars Express (launched by the European Space Agency in 2003), and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (launched in 2005).

Reporters and photographers wear protective gear as they get a look at the MAVEN spacecraft. Wingtip to wingtip, MAVEN is the same length of a school bus -- 37.5 feet.

An Atlas V rocket launches MAVEN into space November 18, 2013 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

• Why did ancient Mars change so dramatically? MAVEN sent to get answers


• MAVEN stands for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution craft


• It's scheduled to enter orbit around the Red Planet on Sunday night


• Mars will be having plenty of other visitors: a spacecraft from India and a comet

(CNN) -- NASA says its latest Mars-exploring spacecraft is on track to fire up its thrusters and enter orbit this Sunday night, completing a 10-month journey of 442 million miles.

NASA's MAVEN craft will live up to its formal name -- the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution craft -- by helping scientists figure out how ancient Mars changed so dramatically into the planet we know today.

It will be the first mission devoted to studying the upper Martian atmosphere as a key to understanding the history of Mars' climate, water and habitability.

Mars rover reaches key destination; 'new science ahead!'

"The evidence shows that the Mars atmosphere today is a cold, dry environment, one where liquid water really can't exist in a stable state," said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN principal investigator, during a mission preview briefing Wednesday at NASA headquarters in Washington. "But it also tells us when we look at older surfaces, that the ancient surfaces had liquid water flowing over it."

NASA's new unmanned spacecraft

NASA tests supersonic parachute for Mars

What's it like to maneuver NASA's Curiosity rover?

So where did the planet's water and carbon dioxide go?

Jakosky said MAVEN will help unravel that mystery by using its scientific instruments to measure the composition and escape of gases in the Martian atmosphere.

MAVEN will study the top of the atmosphere to determine the extent to which losing gas to space might have been the driving mechanism behind climate change, Jakosky said.

Before MAVEN can begin its year of exploration, it has to be inserted into orbit around Mars. That is set to happen at about 10 p.m. ET September 21. The craft's six thruster engines will fire and burn for 33 minutes to slow the spacecraft down so it can get pulled into orbit around Mars.

MAVEN will have company out near Mars, manmade and otherwise.

India's first mission to the Red Planet, the Mars Orbiter Mission, is set to arrive a few days after MAVEN does. The director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, Jim Green, says the United States and India are interested in cooperating as their crafts gather data about the planet.

There's a visitor of the cosmic kind, too.

Comet Sliding Spring, which was discovered last year, will be closest to Mars about four weeks after MAVEN arrives.

The comet is going to miss Mars by about 81,000 miles, said Jakosky.

"I'm told that the odds of having an approach that close to Mars are about one-in-a-million years," he said, adding that dust from the comet carries only a "relatively minimal" risk to the spacecraft.

MAVEN will take advantage of the rare flyby by observing the comet itself, as well as its effect on the Martian atmosphere.

Interactive: Exploring Mars from Viking to MAVEN