Topeka ? State universities now have a policy for dealing with sexually explicit materials in the classroom, but the state senator who prompted the policy said it lacked specifics.

The Kansas Board of Regents on Thursday approved the policy as it was written by a committee of students, faculty and administrators. Much of the language comes from a 1970 policy statement of the American Association of University Professors.

Sen. Susan Wagle, the Wichita Republican who introduced the proviso into this year’s budget, called the policy “a good first step.”

But she said she wished the policy contained more specifics, such as complaint procedures, guidelines for what constitutes sexual harassment and how information about pedophilia is treated in human sexuality courses.

“I think the Legislature would prefer not to micro-manage human sexuality classes, but on the other side, we do recognize that these are tax-funded institutions, and there needs to be some sort of respect within these institutions for the taxpayers,” she said.

Wagle introduced the proviso — which had a Jan. 12, 2004, deadline — after Gov. Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a measure that would have cut $3.1 million in funding to the Kansas University school of social welfare if Dailey’s materials were deemed obscene.

Wagle on the Senate floor accused Dailey of sexually harassing female students, endorsing pedophilia and showing pornographic videos. A KU investigation cleared Dailey of the charges, but Wagle called the report a “whitewash.”

The policy says professors shouldn’t introduce materials that are off-topic to a course, that each campus should have policies for dealing with sexual harassment and that “students are entitled to an atmosphere conducive to learning and to evenhanded treatment in all aspects of the teacher-student relationship.”

“It basically seeks a balance between academic freedom and academic responsibility,” said Mary Prewitt, general counsel for the Board of Regents.

Text of Kansas Board of Regents sexual harassment policyKU sex class stories

Dailey did not return a phone message seeking comment Thursday. He told the Journal-World last month that he had been following the American Association of University Professors policy for 35 years and called it a “very effective guide to academic instruction on the university and college level.”

Regent Deryl Wynn, of Kansas City, Kan., said he was convinced the policy satisfied the legislative proviso.

“The wording is fine,” he said. “I think what we’re doing is clear.”

Wynn said he thought the process for developing the policy was flawed from the beginning, noting that the issue first came up on the Senate floor — not through normal university complaint channels.

“It ought to be harder to destroy someone’s reputation,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.