October 26, 2007
Oral Roberts Battles the Devil for ORU
ORU in debt $52.5 million
Oral Roberts University is $52.5 million in debt — an amount on the decline but a burden keeping the college from improving its campus, university representatives said Wednesday.
The debt accumulated from “years and years and years and years of . . . borrowing,” said board of regents Chairman George Pearsons, who still was gathering information on the sources of debt.
. . .
ORU is paying its bills on the debt and working on strategies to reduce the debt and increase income, he said Wednesday.
“We’re not crippled,” he said. “We could use more finances just like any university could use more finances.”
The board is adopting a more hands-on role at ORU and is investigating the school’s use of money and other practices after learning of allegations of misspending, misuse of power and inappropriate relationships that later were made public in a lawsuit filed Oct. 2 by three former professors alleging wrongful termination or forced resignation.
“years and years and years and years of . . . borrowing” *snort*
Why doesn’t Brother Oral just go on TV and tell his flock God’s threatening to kill him again if he doesn’t come up with the cash?
Meanwhile, Brother Oral returns to the scene of the cri– er, the probe, blames Sonny Boy’s indiscretions on the devil, and swears Old Scratch is not going to steal ORU:
Oral Roberts back at ORU
Oral Roberts returned to his namesake university for the first time in three years Monday and told a chapel packed with ORU employees and students fresh off fall break that no one would take away ORU.
Students had heard rumors that Roberts had returned to campus, but when he slipped into the chapel as George Pearsons, ORU board of regents chairman, was speaking, students nearby recognized him and let out a roar of a cheer that became the first of many standing ovations.
Roberts told the crowd that every allegation raised by a lawsuit against ORU and his son, university President Richard Roberts, was false. He said he was proud of ORU and its accomplishments “for the word of God,” and he said “the devil has come in to steal it away.”
“The devil is not going to steal ORU,” he said.
Oral Roberts said the university was born out of a healing ministry, and so ORU would turn to mediation this week to resolve the lawsuit.
“This will be over and behind us, and my son will be back and be president of Oral Roberts University,” he said.
. . .
Pearsons said in a written statement from ORU that whether Richard Roberts will return as president is undetermined.
Mind you, that’s Christian mediation Brother Oral’s talking about. Funny, innit, how religious folks rail against the interference of the state in church affairs — but when it comes time to face the music in a purely civil (or criminal) matter, they want it all settled through Christian means.
But, just in case God forces ORU through the court system:
ORU hires law firm for probe
Oral Roberts University has hired the Washington, D.C., law firm of Miller & Chevalier Chartered to investigate allegations of misspent money and more made in a lawsuit that three former professors filed Oct. 2 against ORU, its board of regents and four administrators.
. . .
The review will result in a report to ORU regents, “who will take appropriate action,” the statement said.
ORU regents Chairman George Pearsons said this week that the board looked for a law firm that was high-profile, out-of-state and had not worked for ORU.
Pearsons said last week that ORU President Richard Roberts’ leave of absence during the investigation would help assure the public of the independence of the review.
See also:
Everything You Need to Know About the Oral Roberts Scandal… So Far
Oral Roberts U Scandal: Exit Richie, Enter “Convicted Sexual Deviant”
More discussions in the Lavender Liberal Forums:
Scandal hits TV preacher’s academy
Oral Roberts University facing huge scandal
University leader requests leave amid lawsuit
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Filed under: Corruption, Crime, Education/Schools, Oklahoma, Oral Roberts, Radical Religious Right
