Purple for Parents United Indiana is calling on the state legislature to “hold Indiana University accountable” over its continued support of the Kinsey Institute. State law says IU cannot use state appropriations to fund it, but the institute has continued to receive support using non-state funds from the university.
The event, a press conference sponsored by Purple for Parents United, boasts a speaker list including Indiana Comptroller Elise Neishalla, former Indiana State Rep. Cindy Noe along with State Reps. Lorissa Sweet and Craig Haggard, all of whom are Republicans.
“We will be addressing the need for transparency and accountability from Indiana University, which has historically protected the Kinsey Institute like it was Fort Knox,” a Facebook post by the organization read.
Purple for Parents United is a nonprofit with an aim to “protect children from harmful agendas saturating the education system” according to its website. On Jan. 7, the group posted a flyer about the press conference that read, “Join us for our press conference as we call on the Indiana Legislature to defund Indiana University for violating state law.”
An updated post Jan. 10 amended that portion of the poster, asking instead that they would “call on the Indiana Legislature to use the power of the purse to hold Indiana University accountable to comply with state law.” IU has disputed the claim and maintains that it is complying with state law pertaining to the Kinsey Institute.
In a statement Jan. 10, Neishalla said she was not advocating to defund Indiana University.
The press release said Neishalla was “participating in a press conference to share her work to provide transparency on Indiana University’s efforts to comply with a 2023 law prohibiting state funding of the Kinsey Institute.”
In 2023, the Indiana General Assembly passed House Enrolled Act 1001, which declared that “State appropriations may not be used to pay for the administration, operation, or programs of the Kinsey Institute.” The bill determined that state funding could not be used to pay for the Institute’s on-campus facilities, land or property.
Since the law passed, IU has used gifts, grants, auxiliary income and out-of-state tuition to fund the institute, according to an Aug. 29 letter written by IU’s Associate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Jeff Goetz. The letter was in response to one sent by Neishalla and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita on July 31 asking for clarification about IU’s compliance with the law.
However, Neishalla told Indiana Public Media Jan. 8 that IU was violating state law because Kinsey remained on campus using state property. IU maintained in the letters that the wording of the law did not require them to move the Kinsey Institute off campus.
Neishalla and Rokita requested additional information in an Oct. 8 letter, asking how IU planned to “restore state funds to the university that have since been used to fund any part of the Institute” and what the university’s plan was to move the institute off campus property.
IU responded Nov. 19, stating that the law did not require it to move the Kinsey Institute, which is currently located on the third and fourth floors of Lindley Hall, off campus. IU also maintained that no state appropriations were being used to pay for the institute. IU asked an audit firm, Plante Moran, to serve as a third-party audit for IU and attest that they were complying with the law, though they do not serve as legal determinants.
The firm confirmed in a report to the Board of Trustees on Dec. 19 that IU’s assertion that they complied with the law was “fairly stated, in all material respects.”