The decision to exclude Doris Kearns Goodwin from this fall’s Presidential Lecture Series was, in part, a sign that Kansas University officials take allegations of plagiarism seriously.

But KU deans say they’re not planning to take a similar stand in an area plagiarism debate.

Last week, all 12 deans at Kansas State University sent a letter to the Piper school board, saying it mishandled plagiarism on a sophomore biology project last fall.

The board directed teacher Christine Pelton, a KU School of Education graduate, to ease up on grading 28 sophomores she had accused of plagiarizing. Pelton later resigned.

The Kansas State letter said the board “unwittingly encouraged, and rewarded dishonesty on the part of its students.

“It is important to consistently send the message to students, parents and faculty that cheating, plagiarism and other forms of dishonesty will not be tolerated at K-State,” the deans wrote.

But Angela Lumpkin, dean of KU’s School of Education, said she didn’t think KU officials should send a similar letter.

She declined to comment directly on the Kansas State letter.

“This is an issue for a school district, and therefore we don’t intend to make a comment on either side of an issue because it belongs to them,” Lumpkin said.

Neil Salkind, a KU professor in the school’s psychology and research department, is working with the school district to help develop a policy on cheating.

Another KU dean said she thought Kansas State officials sent the right message to the Piper school board.

“I don’t think we want students here (at KU) who think it’s OK to plagiarize,” said Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

She also said it “didn’t seem at all appropriate” for the school board to second-guess a teacher’s grading decision.

“I think she had an amazing amount of integrity to quit her job over it,” McCluskey-Fawcett said.