The following is the text of a letter sent to state Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, from a former student of Dennie Dailey who claims the Kansas University professor taught that sex with children and family members “was normal.” Lynn Bretz, a university spokesman, said today that she found it curious that the letter was unsigned and that the only KU official who could refute the allegation, LeAnn Davis, is deceased.

April 30, 2003
Ms. Susan Wagle
14 N. Sandal Wood
Wichita, KS 67230

Dear Ms. Wagle,

Recently I became aware of the situation regarding Dennis Daily who is currently a professor at the University of Kansas. As a result, I would like to address this issue and give you my experience as a former student with this professor. I went to the University of Kansas and received my Masters in Social Work in 1994 and one of my classes was Interfamilial Sexual Abuse. I was appalled from the first day to the completion of this class. I felt and still feel that Dennis Daily didn’t teach the students the consequences and abnormality of child sexual abuse. Contrarily, he taught that sex with kids and sex with family members was normal. He also stated that being sexually aroused by children and pedophilia was normal sexual behavior. To illustrate this, Dennis would talk about his sexual feelings for his daughters. He stated, “when I hug my daughters, I am sexually aroused and I like feeling their hard young bodies against mine, it turns me on.” Dennis also mentioned that he ran around nude in frront of his daughters regardless of their age. he also said that he was sexually aroused by children and felt that this was normal behavior. In addition, he stated “having sex with children is not harmful, it is the way society, law enforcement, parents and social stigma react towards the child and that causes the guilt and increases the problems for the child.” He also stated, “it is not the fault of adults for having these sexual experiences because these sexual feelings are normal in every family.” This attitude is outrageous as there are so many children being abused by their parents and exploited by others.

I made a complaint to LeAnn Davis (I believe she was Associate Dean at the time) she stated “that Dennis Daily has academic freedom, this is the way he teaches the class and that she would keep my complaint quiet as it might affect my grade.”

As a result of this class and of the University, I have elected not to practice in the social service industry, send my children to KU or donate to the alumni association. I am an executive in the for profit business arena, have taught for over seven years in either a MBA program in Kansas City area or at a college. I would like to address my comments regarding academic freedom. Academic freedom does not give a professor the right to exploit and harass students. Academic freedom demands the professor to respect students and teach them the truth of the real world. If Dennis Daily acted the same way in the business world as he does in his classrooms he would be fired, no question. Do the ethics of business not apply to the ethics of education? How can Kansas University or the state of Kansas justify this behavior and the way of this teaching when the real world dictates completely different ideals? This sort of teaching is harmful to society and is destructive for the students.

Sincerely,