The College Fix

University acknowledges ‘indirect’ support prohibited, will do it anyways

The Kinsey Institute has the full backing of Indiana University.

The board of trustees voted last week to support the weird sex research center founded by Alfred Kinsey.

Indiana’s legislature passed a bill last year stipulating taxpayer funds “may not be used to pay for the administration, operation, or programs of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.”

The board ditched its legally dubious plan to use taxpayer dollars to set up a nonprofit entity which it would run. That would appear to be in clear violation of the ban on the administration and operation of the center.

The university even acknowledged “the new legislation requires that the university also ensure that no state funds are indirectly used to support the Kinsey Institute.”

Instead the university will invest in more security (using taxpayer dollars) and “to the full extent allowable by law, continue to provide funding for faculty and staff salaries and ensure faculty and staff maintain their current affiliation with the institute,” according to a university announcement.

The university will also help “with fundraising,” push back against “misinformation” and provide additional security, as reported by WFYI. Sounds like the university is using its funds to “pay for the administration, operation, [and] programs.”

IU will probably get away with it because even Republican leaders have shown no interest in enforcing the law. “Our jurisdiction does include nonprofits, but there is nothing to provide at this point,” Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office told The Fix in January.

Point of order – the jurisdiction for AG Rokita, an otherwise strong conservative, is the entire state.

He is tasked with enforcing all state laws. The correct answer would be: “Attorney General Todd Rokita will be closely scrutinizing IU to ensure it fully complies with the law, as is his sworn duty as the top law enforcement officer for the state.”

IU also plans to use a favorite trick of universities – run operations through its closely connected “Foundation” which the school’s attorneys will no doubt claim is legally separate. That’s what Kentucky State University, College of DuPage, and the University of Wisconsin all do.

That too would be a total farce, as the IU Foundation is an extension of the university. A university website directing people to give to the Foundation so it can then redirect money to Kinsey Institute is using taxpayer dollars (the website, IT staff, the communications team) to promote the sex center.

What’s a better plan? Kick Kinsey Institute from its subsidized university building (worth at least $50,000 per year, based on market office rent rates). Take away its university emails. If it’s so valuable, it can surely find plenty of donors to support its work. Indiana taxpayers do not need to subsidize it.

While we’re at it, shut down the abortionists at the university hospital.

Just for good measure.

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