Topeka ? A hearing on the ethics complaint against former Kansas University Athletics Director Lew Perkins has been delayed until January, officials said Thursday.

Perkins faces allegations that he violated a state law that bans gifts to state officials. A complaint before the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission alleges that he violated the law by accepting free exercise equipment and physical therapy sessions.

Last month, the Ethics Commission scheduled a public hearing in the matter for Nov. 16.

But Perkins’ attorney Stephen McAllister requested a continuance, saying Perkins would be out of the state on that day because of a previous commitment, according to Ethics Commission general counsel Judy Moler. The hearing has been re-scheduled for Jan. 25, she said.

The complaint includes two counts.

The first one alleges that in 2005, Perkins, as athletics director at KU, accepted at no cost exercise equipment from Medical Outfitters, a now defunct Lenexa company. The equipment remained in his home until 2009, the complaint states.

Under the second count, the state alleges that in 2005, Perkins requested and received physical therapy sessions from employees with the KU Department of Sports Medicine. Both counts allege violations of the state ban on gifts to state agencies, state officers, and employees and candidates for state office.

Perkins received a portion of his salary from state funds.

The controversy surrounding the exercise equipment was one of several that beset Perkins, 65, over the past year.

The school was rocked by an investigation into a tickets-for-profit scam allegedly run by a handful of members of Perkins’ staff.

An investigation did not implicate Perkins but he admitted to having been guilty of poor oversight. Authorities allege that football and basketball tickets were sold by staff members who pocketed the money. An audit said the school could have lost upwards of $3 million.

Shortly after that hit the news, Perkins was accused by a former staff member — William Dent — of accepting use of the exercise equipment in his home in exchange for giving the company’s owners access to premium men’s basketball tickets. Perkins and the company’s co-owner denied the allegation.

Prior to the accusation, Perkins had filed a report with Lawrence police saying he was being blackmailed by Dent over the equipment.

Perkins later wrote a check for $5,000 for use of the equipment. In June, an internal review by KU found “no evidence” to substantiate Dent’s claims.

Perkins had announced he would retire in September 2011 but on Sept. 7 he announced he was stepping down immediately.