Lawmakers accuse Indiana University of breaking the law INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A group of activists, joined by Indiana’s new lieutenant governor and some state lawmakers, led a protest accusing Indiana University of illegally funding the Kinsey Institute. Lawmakers join protestors in calls for transparency in IU’s funding of Kinsey Institute funding transparency Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith joined in at the protest, calling for transparency in how the Kinsey Institute is getting its funding. “We will make sure that IU is in full transparency. That IU is not using tax payer dollars to fund something that is rooted in this wickedness and we’ll call it out,” Beckwith said. The protestors said the wickedness goes back to Alfred Kinsey’s research in his 1948 book, “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male.” Protestors claimed a data table on page 180 of the 810 page book showed Kinsey’s research involved molesting children and that his research ultimately led to moral decay in America and the rise of pornography. Cindy Noe, a former statehouse representative from 2002-2012, weighed in at the protest as one of the first lawmakers to try and defund IU over its ties to the Kinsey Institute. While she served as state representative, she toured the institute on campus. Her concern was with students being payed to participate in scientific studies. “They had separate rooms and you would go in and get hooked up to some devices and then watch pornography. And the devices really measured what was your length and intensity of sexual arousal kind of thing. That was a red flag for me,” Noe said. Noe’s efforts to defund IU in 2010 did not work, but the legal language she tried to get passed then is nearly identical to the language introduced by Representative Lorissa Sweet in 2023 in a bill that later passed. The law prevents Indiana University from using state funds for the Kinsey institute. IU stood behind the institute, choosing to use accounting measures to make sure no state funds went to them. That included making the institute pay rent for the building they use. Since July, the State Attorney General’s Office, the Comptroller, and IU have exchanged multiple letters on the issue of funding. IU detailed what they’re doing and the AG’s office asking for more proof. The university declined to comment on the issue, but pointed I-Team 8 to this document on their website. It’s an independent accountants report that says, “In our opinion, management’s assertion that Indiana University complied with Indiana Code 21-20-6-2 is fairly stated, in all material respects.” After the protest Thursday, I-Team 8 showed the document to Rep. Sweet, one of the lawmakers asking for transparency. “I’m not an auditing expert. According to them they say that they are, but until the comptroller and the attorney general are satisfied what they’ve found, I’m going to say we still don’t have the proof that we need,” Sweet said. I-Team 8 showed the document to the State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla, who spoke at the protest and had been asking the university for transparency. “My position has been to have this exchange and provide the transparency and now it’s in the hands of the legislature to make those determinations. They’re the body in the position to review this and deem whether there’s full compliance,” Nieshalla said. I-Team 8 emailed the Indiana Attorney Generals office to ask if the independent accounting report is enough proof to show the university is not breaking the law. At the time this article was published, no response was given.