TULSA, Okla. — Tenured faculty at Oral Roberts University (ORU), Tulsa, Okla., approved a motion Nov. 12 voicing “no confidence” in Richard Roberts, the embattled president of the charismatic Christian university.
Amid intense scrutiny over allegations of financial, political and other wrongdoing, the son of the university’s namesake founder placed himself on an indefinite leave of absence Oct. 17. Roberts, who has denied wrongdoing, said he expected to return to the post in “God’s timing.”
The allegations were raised in a lawsuit filed Oct. 2 by three former ORU professors who claim they were all fired or forced to resign because of attempts by two of them to act as whistleblowers.
“This vote of ‘no confidence’ is not to be construed as a judgment of guilt or innocence with regard to the present lawsuit,” said a letter by the tenured faculty.
The letter indicated that the vote by a quorum of the tenured faculty at a 3.5-hour meeting was the result of years of shortcomings by Roberts. The Oklahoman reported the vote wasn’t spurred by the
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