Topeka Capitol-Journal, Febuary 27

Legislative query about sexuality courses creates stir
Request was anonymous.

By LEW FERGUSON
The Associated Press

t was being viewed here as a tempest in the Topeka teapot, but an 
anonymous request asking Kansas universities what academic courses they 
offer relating to homosexuality and bisexuality set off alarm bells at 
the schools.

Several leading social conservatives in the Legislature said they didn't 
know anything about the request. They weren't even aware on Wednesday of 
the controversy it has stirred at the six state universities.

Some faculty members view the request as a potential infringement on 
academic freedom at best and a witch hunt at worst. University officials 
said the inquiry on sexually oriented courses created a flood of e-mail 
messages within the academic community.

"It was bouncing all over the country by Saturday," said Dana Britton, 
assistant professor of sociology at Kansas State University.

It was quickly viewed by some as a potential threat to academic freedom 
and a possible effort to root out sexually sensitive material in 
university courses.

"I would consider it very inappropriate to delve into course content," 
said James Coffman, provost at Kansas State.

"The concept of academic freedom is a pretty universal concept in our 
society," said John Ginn, University of Kansas journalism professor who 
teaches media ethics.

"Raising this question sort of implies that there is interest ... to get 
involved in the content of the classes at universities."

The request to the Kansas Board of Regents institutions came from 
Russell Mills, a Legislative Research Department staffer who was 
assigned the task of handling the request after someone in the 
Legislature asked whether state universities teach courses that relate 
directly to homosexuality or bisexuality.

Such requests from legislators are confidential, and both Mills and Ben 
Barrett, director of the research department, declined to identify the 
source of the request.

Asked if it was a one-person request, Barrett replied:

"I don't think I want to answer your question. Our requests are 
confidential. It's a request we've made on behalf of our bosses."

Barrett said state agencies aren't required to respond to legislative 
requests for information. "It's often in their best interest to do so, 
but we don't have any power to make them do anything," Barrett said.

Most inquiries so far have come from the news media, Barrett said, 
including the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Mills said he routed the request through the Board of Regents and hadn't 
received back any responses by Wednesday afternoon.

Kansas State officials said they ran a computer check of course titles 
and didn't find the words homosexuality or bisexuality in any of them.

Speaker Pro Tem Susan Wagle and Rep. Carlos Mayans, both Wichita 
Republicans aligned with House social conservatives, said they didn't 
know anything about the request. Similarly, Sen. Tim Huelskamp, 
R-Fowler, sometimes a spokesman for Senate social conservatives, said he 
knew nothing about it.

They all seemed amused by it.

"Maybe we'll get another controversial issue for the session," a 
laughing Wagle said.