Trigger Warning: A Mom's Unfiltered Thoughts on The Cornell 7

October 1st, 2026: TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion of alleged rape and sexual assault, drugging, consent, pornography, and sexual violence. This episode is not appropriate for children and may be difficult or triggering for some listeners.

In this solo episode of The Mom Room, Renee is talking about the story commonly being referred to online as the “Cornell 7” allegations involving a female Cornell student and multiple male students and why she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it.

But this episode isn’t just about what allegedly happened at Cornell. It’s about the much bigger question the story has raised for Renee as the mom of an eight-year-old boy: How do we raise boys who grow into men who would never participate in something like this, or stand by while it happens?

After recently reading Raising Conscious Sons by Dr. Shefali, Renee has been thinking a lot about the conversations parents have with boys, and, maybe more importantly, the ones we avoid because they make us uncomfortable.

Consent. Sex. Pornography. Masturbation. Respect. Sexual urges. How you treat girls and women. What you do when your friends are doing something wrong. And why leaving boys to figure all of this out on their own is not good enough.

Renee talks about her anger over the allegations and institutional response, the questions the story has raised for her as a parent, and why she believes parents of young boys need to start having uncomfortable conversations long before their sons become teenagers or young men.

There are no easy answers in this episode. It’s an emotional, unfiltered conversation from a mom trying to figure out what we can do differently, because simply hoping we’re raising “good boys” isn’t enough.

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RENEE REINA  

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