Oral Roberts Prez Denies Lavish Spending

Trials & Litigation

Posted Oct 9, 2007, 08:54 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Three former professors at Oral Roberts University contend its president, Richard Roberts, improperly fired them for objecting to the school’s involvement in a political race.

But their lawsuit goes further, claiming Roberts and his wife, Lindsey, are using university money to finance a lavish lifestyle. Roberts, for his part, claims the lawsuit is all about intimidation and blackmail.

The lawsuit (PDF posted by USA Today’s On Deadline blog) contends Roberts used university money to remodel his family home 11 times in 14 years, pay for his daughter’s $29,000 senior trip, and provide a white Lexus SUV and a red Mercedes convertible to his wife, USA Today reports. Lindsey Roberts is also accused of spending $39,000 for clothing at one Chico's clothing store in less than a year. The suit also claims she spent $800 a month for cell phone charges and text messages to “underage males who had been provided phones at university expense."

Roberts, who is the son of university founder Oral Roberts, said God is telling him to deny the allegations. He criticized the suit at a chapel service last week, the Associated Press reports.

“We live in a litigious society,” Roberts said. “Anyone can get mad and file a lawsuit against another person whether they have a legitimate case or not. This lawsuit … is about intimidation, blackmail and extortion.”

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