April Marciszewski, The Tulsa World, November 22, 2007
A former Oral Roberts University senior accountant filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming he was forced to quit because he refused to stay silent about ORU and others allegedly requiring him to falsely list assets as expenses.
Trent Huddleston’s lawsuit claims “he was directed, against his will and over his objections,” to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, the Oklahoma Tax Commission and the public “in particular for the protection of . . . Richard and Lindsay Roberts . . .”
Richard Roberts is on a leave of absence as ORU president while university regents and independent auditors investigate allegations made in an earlier lawsuit by former professors John Swails, Tim Brooker, and Paulita Brooker. That suit claims the Roberts family misspent ORU and Oral Roberts Ministries money, among other allegations. Lindsay Roberts is his wife. Both are defendants in the earlier lawsuit. They have denied wrongdoing, and Richard Roberts has said that he pays for his family’s personal expenses.
Huddleston’s suit was filed by attorneys Gary Richardson and Paul Boudreaux. They also filed the earlier lawsuit, as well as two lawsuits filed Wednesday from ORU students, one claiming his potential degree has been devalued and the other claiming the history department has been decimated and he cannot complete his history degree. All of the suits were filed in Tulsa County District Court.
ORU Director of Public Relations Jeremy Burton said the university declined to comment on the student cases and was reviewing Huddleston’s allegations. Richard Roberts’ attorney did not return a call just before 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Richard Roberts:”I dont know that Man!”
Comment by Rainlander — November 22, 2007 @ 6:42 pm