Sunday, October 14, 2007

Updated: Revised lawsuit against ORU makes new allegations

Tulsa World

Three former Oral Roberts University professors have amended their lawsuit against the school, and have included an internal report detailing allegations against ORU President Richard Roberts, his wife and others.

The new suit adds a new defendant to the case -- the ORU regents -- and two new allegation, negligence and civil conspiracy.

Oral Roberts University officials, including President Richard Roberts, declined to comment after hours on Friday because they had not seen the amended
lawsuit, a spokesman said.

The new suit includes a new allegation that Richard Roberts and ORU gave ''a convicted sexual deviant unrestricted access to the students of the university.''

The suit doesn't identify the person, but says that prior to his association with the school he had confessed to crimes in Tulsa, Tulsa County and Payne County.

''All three allegations of sexually-deviant conduct resulted in convictions,'' the suit says.

The person was hired at the direct personal instruction and under the supervision of Richard Roberts, the suit says.

The person, identified as a ''Mentor'' for ORU students, ''confessed to the facts regarding exposing himself to a fifteen year old boy in a school locker room,'' the suit says.

The suit also alleges that three days after the original lawsuit was filed earlier this month, the school's financial comptroller, a 26-year ORU employee, was fired.

''Within hours of this loyal employee's unceremonious removal from his office, witnesses have reported that voluminous materials and documents were shredded and destroyed....''

The new suit also includes a copy of a report one of the fired professors allegedly gave to ORU officials shortly before he was fired. The report says it is a Scandal Vulnerability Assessment and was prepared by Stephanie Cantees, Richard Roberts' sister-in-law and the community and governmental liaison for the Oral Roberts Ministry.

The report, which purports to be prepared by Cantees, misspells her name.

Most of the elements of the Cantees report are similar to allegations in an early version of the former professors' lawsuits, but more details are added to several of the allegations, especially allegations involved Lindsay Roberts and an unnamed teen boy.

The report says that dead-bolt locks were installed on all bedroom doors at the Richard Roberts residence at the insistence of his oldest daughter.

''This was precipitated by Mrs. Roberts repeatedly moving into the home her 16 year old male 'friend,' which made her daughters uncomfortable,'' the assessment says.

The assessment also says: ''Mrs. Roberts has personally spent the night in the ORU guest house with an underage male on nine separate occasions.''

The report also says there are photos of Lindsay Roberts and an underaged male smoking at the president's residence, and 29 photos of her and an underage male alone in her sports car after midnight.

The assessment goes on to say a longtime employee was fired so the same underage male companion could have the position.

The assessment also gives details concerning an electronic message Richard Roberts allegedly ordered ORU employees to post on the Mabee Center electronic marquee for his daughter, Chloe.

The message read, ''Matt, I sorry. Love, Chloe,'' the assessment says.

The report says the school received a total of 32 complaints about the message.

1 comment:

Dave said...

The Sexual deviant rumor is true! His name is Larry Favalora he came onto the ORU campus trying to promote some of his referal marketing businesses to students and "mentor" them in the area of finances. Anyway the story with the 15 year old kid is true and was published in the Novermber 5th issue of the Tulsa world in 2004. You can also look up his case online at the Oklahoma State courts Network website. He wasn't hired but was "volunteering" his time to promote his own agenda to students. As soon as he was found out he was immediatly kicked off campus. Richard and Lindsey would never allow their students to knowingly be exposed to anyone like that.