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Leader of Oral Roberts University speak on suit
More articles on this topic: Oral Roberts UniversityHe says three former professors suing him and the school are attempting blackmail.
Oral Roberts University President Richard Roberts spoke out Wednesday against three former professors who filed a lawsuit against him and the school, saying the trio was after money but he was “not intimidated by blackmail and extortion.”
John Swails, Tim Brooker and Paulita Brooker filed a lawsuit against ORU on Tuesday, saying they had been wrongfully terminated or wrongfully caused to resign, and claiming the Roberts family had spent university money for personal uses.
Roberts spoke to students at a regular chapel service on campus, saying God said to tell them, “We live in a litigious society. Anyone can get mad and file a lawsuit against another person, whether they have a legitimate case or not,” according to an ORU transcript of the speech.
Roberts said the professors’ attorney, Gary L. Richardson, had lost every lawsuit he had filed against ORU.
Richardson said he had been involved in only one lawsuit involving ORU, but the suit never resulted in a trial.
“I hate to call him a liar, but he’s a liar,” the attorney said.
The lawsuit filed by the former professors summarizes a report allegedly written by Roberts’ sister-in-law Stephanie Cantese, an Oral Roberts Ministries employee, that claims university money has paid for: a stable of horses for the Roberts children, Roberts family members’ $800-a-month cell phone bills, dorm room renovations for the Roberts’ daughters, and much more.
Roberts told students during the chapel service: “Some may think that I might ought to hang my head in shame, but I won’t do that. I am confident that when the real truth is known, there will be no more questions.”
Roberts said he is praying “with all of my heart” “for those who persecute us and despitefully use us.”
Student Cornell Cross II said, “I think we’ve all known that this stuff has been going on for a while.”
After learning of the lawsuit, Cross said, students took varying stances, from avoiding involvement to supporting the Roberts family to supporting the stance against administrators. He thinks because students pay nearly $18,000 in tuition and fees, they should know their money is well-spent.
Four people protested outside the ORU campus Wednesday evening, holding signs reading “Mabee You Should Pay Taxes” and “Department of Political Intervention” as ORU security guards looked on.
“Not only does ORU spend money for personal use; they spend it on political campaigns,” said Geordan Taylor, who said he is a former student of Tim Brooker’s at ORU.
Taylor said the group plans to protest for a week and hopes to draw 20 to 30 people by the end.
The small group of protesters drew a counterprotester, Ryon Sullivent, an ORU student who got into a tug-of-war with Trujillo over one of the signs, both he and Trujillo acknowledged.
Sullivent held a sign reading “Don’t Listen to These Clowns.”
Family income: Richard and Lindsay Roberts were paid more than $673,000 in salary and expenses combined by three ORU-related entities during the 2006 tax year, federal records show. Their income came from ORU, the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Traco Advertising, a for-profit subsidiary of the evangelistic association.
The Internal Revenue Service records show the association spent $145,000 for aircraft maintenance, $79,000 in miscellaneous expenses, $394,000 for consultants and $8,500 for food and catering that year. The association produces Richard Roberts’ weekly TV shows, books, mailings and other materials for the ministry.
ORU reported more than $75 million in revenue during the 2005 tax year, records show. The evangelistic association reported revenues in 2006 of $12.7 million.
Sexual harassment claim: In another lawsuit-related development Wednesday, ORU Vice Provost Jeff Ogle released a written statement refuting a claim of the lawsuit that said he sexually harassed a professor, who is not named.
“. . . I am not aware of any conduct or communication that I have engaged in that could be construed as sexual harassment,” his statement said. “Throughout my 22 years at Oral Roberts University, I have conducted my personal and professional life by principles of biblical integrity. The damage that has been done to me, my family and my friends is irreparable. I look forward to having my reputation restored through the legal process.”
The lawsuit claims that former professor Paulita Brooker was fired partly because fellow plaintiff Swails reported to administrators that Ogle had sexually harassed a professor.
World staff writers Ziva Branstetter and Clifton Adcock and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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