ORU Scandal

[JimmyJack]

Re: ORU Scandal

Richard Roberts has now asked for a leave of absence, no doubt acting on orders received in a text message from 900-foot-Jesus:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071018/...rts_scandal_11

Some Tulsa pastor will take over... assisted by Oral Roberts. That should solve the problems and assure a complete investigation. If you want an impartial investigation, naturally you'd involve the accused's father as much as possible.

Here's another sign that a full and complete investigation is their intent:

"The professors' suit was amended last week to include new allegations that documents were shredded and destroyed days after the initial lawsuit was filed, and hours after ORU and Richard Roberts fired the school's comptroller."

What a mess.

[JackJD]

Re: ORU Scandal

From the article (there are accusations Mrs. Roberts has been with some young guy numerous times):

In a statement issued Saturday, Lindsay Roberts said, "I live my life in a morally upright manner and throughout my marriage have never, ever engaged in any sexual behavior with any man outside of my marriage as the accusations imply."

It seems like when we read denials like that, we later find out they're lying. Mrs. Roberts should just keep her mouth shut.

I have to admit a little glee in seeing people getting drilled for living the high life while pretending to be so pius.

Jimmy Jack's right: What a mess!

[OKC_Poke]

Re: ORU Scandal

I got a feeling this is going to get ugly fast.

Ironically, when my parents and I moved here to OKC in 1991 not many Okies gave a flying leap about Oral Roberts and his university. I'll admit ORU basketball and baseball are good but....

In the years since we moved, I haven't hear anybody living here talk fondly of ORU.

[JimmyJack]

Re: ORU Scandal

ORU is $55 million in debt

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/us/200...dal/index.html

[Nidaros]

Re: ORU Scandal

ORU is $55 million in debt

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/us/200...dal/index.html

I suppose this is good news for USD and UND, but maybe not since we have a few others further down the reclassification trail, ORU dropping out of the Summit does not guarentee an admission by two institutions that have yet to start the process.

There is too much competition in the electronic church, that I dont see Oral Roberts University recovering from this financial problem. I could be wrong though. The oil people have deep pockets and maybe just one of them or several are a followers of Oral Roberts.

[Hammersmith]

Re: ORU Scandal

How can you go from an endowment of $60 million to $34 million? I though only some of the interest was supposed to be used. I guess you could lose value if it was poorly invested, but a loss of over 40%? Yikes.

[1bunnies]

Re: ORU Scandal

The devil may not steal ORU, but it looks like the devil converted Richard Roberts.

[jackmd]

Re: ORU Scandal

The devil may not steal ORU, but it looks like the devil converted Richard Roberts.

I hope you aren't suggesting that anyone other than Rich Roberts is responsible for what Rich Roberts did. I just wonder how many other people made the same wrong choices. Whoever did will answer to his fellow man/woman and not to anyone or anything else.

[State_fan]

Re: ORU Scandal

Just saw this over on Yahoo. Not sure how it relates to the other two story's linked from Yahoo news prior; I tried them to see if this was the same article but those links are now broken.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/oral_robe...xthb244EUDW7oF

[JimmyJack]

Re: ORU Scandal

Just saw this over on Yahoo. Not sure how it relates to the other two story's linked from Yahoo news prior; I tried them to see if this was the same article but those links are now broken.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/oral_robe...xthb244EUDW7oF

Wow. More bad news for ORU. No surprises there, but the picture that is emerging of a half-baked university that exists in large part to support the Roberts' lifestyle doesn't suggest a bright future for ORU. Wait until they start digging into athletics!

[rabidrabbit]

Re: ORU Scandal

I hope that this doesn't pull down a leading Summit school, such that it closes its doors.

Unfortunately, a school founded and named for a minister, with a substantially reducing endowment.......

If I was a banker, Roberts family could not get a loan from me.

Fortunately, I am an engineer! LOL

[Jack4Life]

Re: ORU Scandal

That has been my concern since this issue was revealed. Hopefully the school will continue as is and the athletics no affected. This is a little selfish, but ORU has some very strong programs.

[JackJD]

Re: ORU Scandal

The Board of Trustee of ORU have a responsibility to address and fix the problems. They owe that to the entity itself, not to the Roberts family. It seems to me ORU has been around long enough etc. that it should survive as an insitution but I hope there is a significant change in leadership.

I also hope that we do not have to witness another embarassing spectacle in which Oral Roberts threatens everyone that if they don't pony up money, he'll be called to heaven (as he did when they were building the med school). I say, let him go this time.

[West-River_Jack]

Re: ORU Scandal

The Board of Trustee of ORU have a responsibility to address and fix the problems. They owe that to the entity itself, not to the Roberts family. It seems to me ORU has been around long enough etc. that it should survive as an insitution but I hope there is a significant change in leadership.

I also hope that we do not have to witness another embarassing spectacle in which Oral Roberts threatens everyone that if they don't pony up money, he'll be called to heaven (as he did when they were building the med school). I say, let him go this time.

But what if he threatens to let the daughter-in-law stay?

[JimmyJack]

Re: ORU Scandal

The Board of Trustee of ORU have a responsibility to address and fix the problems. They owe that to the entity itself, not to the Roberts family. It seems to me ORU has been around long enough etc. that it should survive as an insitution but I hope there is a significant change in leadership.

I also hope that we do not have to witness another embarassing spectacle in which Oral Roberts threatens everyone that if they don't pony up money, he'll be called to heaven (as he did when they were building the med school). I say, let him go this time.

The university and the family and Board of Trustees are so intertwined that I'm not sure sure they are the right group to solve the problems. The Board of Trustees are all Roberts family friends, hand picked by the family to "govern" the institution. (Even Richard Roberts' wife serves on the board.) So that's not exactly an impartial group that has any sort of independence or objectivity in all of this. It's a group of cronies who are likely to be further implicated in this mess... unless they manage to cover it up.