Scandal at Conservative Christian University

"Sex, Money, Privileges Scandal At Conservative Christian Oral Roberts U" The Associated Press

Tulsa, Oklahoma―Twenty years ago, televangelist Oral Roberts said he was reading a spy novel when God appeared to him and told him to raise $8 million for Roberts' university, or else he would be "called home."

Now, his son, Oral Roberts University President Richard Roberts, says God is speaking again, telling him to deny lurid allegations in a lawsuit that threatens to engulf this 44-year-old Bible Belt college in scandal.

Richard Roberts is accused of illegal involvement in a local political campaign and lavish spending at donors' expense, including numerous home remodeling projects, use of the university jet for his daughter's senior trip to the Bahamas, and a red Mercedes convertible and a Lexus SUV for his wife, Lindsay.

She is accused of dropping tens of thousands of dollars on clothes, awarding nonacademic scholarships to friends of her children and sending scores of text messages on university-issued cell phones to people described in the lawsuit as "underage males."

At a chapel service this week on the 5,300-student campus known for its 60-foot-tall bronze sculpture of praying hands, Roberts said God told him:

"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. This lawsuit . . . is about intimidation, blackmail and extortion."

San Antonio televangelist John Hagee, a member of the ORU board of regents, said the university's executive board "is conducting a full and thorough investigation."

Colleagues fear for the reputation of the university and the future of the Roberts' ministry, which grew from Southern tent revivals to one of the most successful evangelical empires in the country, hauling in tens of millions of dollars in contributions a year. The university reported nearly $76 million in revenue in 2005, according to the IRS. Oral Roberts is 89 and lives in California.

The allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by three former professors. They sued ORU and Roberts, alleging they were wrongfully dismissed after reporting the school's involvement in a local political race.

Richard Roberts, according to the suit, asked a professor in 2005 to use his students and university resources to aid a county commissioner's bid for Tulsa mayor. Such involvement would violate state and federal law because of the university's nonprofit status. Up to 50 students are alleged to have worked on the campaign.

The professors also said their dismissals came after they turned over to the board of regents a copy of a report documenting moral and ethical lapses on the part of Roberts and his family. The internal document was prepared by Stephanie Cantese, Richard Roberts' sister-in-law, according to the lawsuit.

An ORU student repairing Cantese's laptop discovered the document and later provided a copy to one of the professors.

It details dozens of alleged instances of misconduct. Among them:

[list][*]A longtime maintenance employee was fired so that an underage male friend of Mrs. Roberts could have his position.

[*]Mrs. Roberts frequently had cell-phone bills of more than $800 per month, with hundreds of text messages sent between 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. to "underage males who had been provided phones at university expense."

[*]The university jet was used to take one daughter and several friends on a senior trip to Orlando, FL and the Bahamas. The $29,411 trip was billed to the ministry as an "evangelistic function of the president."

[*]Mrs. Roberts spent more than $39,000 at one Chico's clothing store alone in less than a year, and had other accounts in Texas and California. She also repeatedly said, "As long as I wear it once on TV, we can charge it off." The document cites inconsistencies in clothing purchases and actual usage on TV.

[*]Mrs. Roberts was given a white Lexus SUV and a red Mercedes convertible by ministry donors.

[*]University and ministry employees are regularly summoned to the Roberts' home to do the daughters' homework.

[*]The university and ministry maintain a stable of horses for exclusive use by the Roberts' children.

[*]The Roberts' home has been remodeled 11 times in the past 14 years.[/list]

Tim Brooker, one of the professors who sued, said he fears for the university's survival if certain changes aren't made.

"All over that campus, there are signs up that say, `And God said, build me a university, build it on my authority, and build it on the Holy Spirit,'" Brooker said. "Unfortunately, ownership has shifted."

not good... I just don't trust those big shot evangelical people 😖

" University Leader Requests Leave Amid Lawsuit"

CNN―Richard Roberts said he will step aside temporarily as president of Oral Roberts University as the school fights a wrongful termination lawsuit by three former professors who accuse Roberts and his wife of misconduct.

Richard Roberts, president of Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, has offered to step aside temporarily.

"Today, I have asked the board of regents of Oral Roberts University to grant me a temporary leave of absence until such time as these matters can be resolved," Roberts said in a written statement Wednesday. "I have prayed about it, and feel that it is in the best interest of my family and the university."

The lawsuit, filed earlier this month, contends that the professors lost their jobs at the Tulsa, Oklahoma, university after reporting information indicating that Roberts and his family lavishly spent school money for personal expenses.

Roberts has denied the allegations.

"I don't know how long this leave of absence will last, but I fully trust the members of the board of regents," his statement said. "They are great men and women who have a deep love for this university and for me and my family. I pray and believe that in God's timing, and when the board feels that it is appropriate, I will be back at my post as president."

During an interview last week on CNN's "Larry King Live," Roberts had said he would not seek a leave of absence.

"I've not done anything for which I should have to step aside," he said.

The lawsuit alleges that Roberts and his wife, Lindsay, used a university-leased jet to send one of their daughters and her friends on a Bahamas vacation. The Robertses told Larry King they repaid the university for the use of the jet.

Another allegation is that they spent tens of thousands of dollars renovating their home at university expense. The couple told King that floors with black mold needed to be replaced, and the university owns the home. Video Watch the plaintiffs explain their lawsuit »

Other allegations listed in the lawsuit include:

[list][*]Lindsay Roberts spent more than $51,000 on clothes and told university employees to cover up the costs.

[*]Lindsay Roberts' Lexus SUV and Mercedes-Benz convertible were provided for the university's use by donors, who also pay the insurance costs.

[*]Cell phone bills for Lindsay Roberts and her three daughters run more than $800 each month.
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[*]Richard Roberts books speaking engagements in cities his daughters wish to visit, and then charges all travel expenses to the university.[/list]

The lawsuit was amended recently to accuse the school of giving a "convicted sexual deviant unrestricted access to students" and of shredding evidence three days after the suit was first filed.

OTF= shit replies.

Like I said. tongue_ss

Wrong forum?

No, it got moved here when he first made it.

Being the rule abiding guy he is he posted the update in the same thread.

Notice that there's never scandals at liberal colleges? They're all like "sh*t...a controversy? Let's have a naked marathon to celebrate it and forget the whole thing." And then they eat donuts.

Originally posted by DigiMark007
Notice that there's never scandals at liberal colleges? They're all like "sh*t...a controversy? Let's have a naked marathon to celebrate it and forget the whole thing." And then they eat donuts.

"Lawsuit Accuses Oral Roberts University of Billion Dollar Secret Bank Account" The Associated Press

Tulsa, Oklahoma—A former senior accountant at Oral Roberts University alleges that more than $1 billion annually was inappropriately funneled through the school.

Trent Huddleston claims in a lawsuit filed Thursday that he discovered an "unrestricted" account used to funnel "unusually large" sums of money through the university each month—which would exceed $1 billion on an annual basis—that wasn't used for any legitimate university purpose.

University spokesman Jeremy Burton dismissed any wrongdoing, saying the allegations had "no basis in fact." John Tucker, an attorney for the university, said the petition appeared to be "grounded in fantasy."

Huddleston, who was hired in 2006 and spent 15 months at the school, said he was discharged because school officials feared he would reveal that the account existed.

Named as defendants are Richard Roberts, the school's former president, and his wife, Lindsay, along with former regents.

Huddleston's lawsuit, the latest to hit the scandal-plagued university, amended a complaint he filed in late November against ORU.

The initial complaint alleged Huddleston was ordered to help Richard and Lindsay Roberts "cook the books" by hiding improper and illegal financial wrongdoing from authorities and the public.

It also claimed that he was directed against his will to falsely list thousands of dollars as expenses rather than assets—which were spent remodeling the home of Richard and Lindsay Roberts—in order to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and other agencies.

Roberts resigned as president days after Huddleston's lawsuit was filed. He and his wife have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Burton said the new trustees board was "committed to resolving outstanding litigation against the university brought under the former administration."

Originally posted by Barker
OTF= shit replies.

Says the Charger fan.

Philip Rivers FTL.