College Porno Conference Not Improper, Audit Finds

A legislative audit of Cal State Northridge’s Center for Sex Research released Tuesday found nothing improper in its staging of a 1998 pornography conference, but suggested that the university establish clearer guidelines concerning academic conferences.

In a written response, Cal State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed said he concurred with the audit’s recommendation that the CSU system establish procedures for responding to allegations of research misconduct, and pledged to put such a policy in place by early next year.

In his 26-page report, State Auditor Kurt R. Sjoberg concluded that “the absence of clear standards for staging academic conferences and for judging their academic sufficiency do not allow us to determine that this conference lacked academic merit.”

The controversy over the Center for Sex Research began last year after it co-sponsored a conference on pornography with the Canoga Park-based Free Speech Coalition, the nation’s largest adult industry trade association.

State Sen. Ray Haynes (D-Riverside) accused the university of using state funds for a “pornography trade show” and asked the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to direct the State Auditor to review the center’s books.

James Elias, the director and founder of the Center for Sex Research, said he felt vindicated by the audit, and took issue with criticism of the conference.