Tulsa World: Green plan moves closer

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Green plan moves closer

Janet Benton of the Oral Roberts University graphics department hangs a poster of a 1980s-era photo of university founder Oral Roberts on Wednesday in Christ’s Chapel on the ORU campus. ROBERT S. CROSS / Tulsa World

By APRIL MARCISZEWSKI World Staff Writer
Published: 1/24/2008 1:38 AM
Last Modified: 1/25/2008 3:05 PM

For more: Read the latest ORU stories, view the lawsuit and other documents and watch slide shows and video.

ORU’s regents vote unanimously for the final version of the proposal.

The Green family plan, tied to its proposed $62 million donation, is one step closer to becoming the guide for Oral Roberts University’s future.

ORU’s board of regents unanimously approved of the final version of the proposal on Tuesday, the college announced Wednesday. That version essentially is the same as the version approved by the board Jan. 14.

ORU is in a second seven-day waiting period while the Green family decides whether to accept or reject the board’s approval of the proposal, according to a news release.

The deal is largely contingent on whether ORU can settle lawsuits — one of several conditions required by the family’s proposal.

The Green family plan would infuse ORU with $62 million, adding to the family’s unconditional $8 million donation in November, and it would usher in shared governance, in which professors would weigh in on university decisions and direct the academic aspects of the school.

When the Green family believes the conditions of the proposal have been met, amended bylaws and articles of incorporation will be filed with the secretary of state, the news release said. That

is when a new board of trustees will become ORU’s governing body, replacing the board of regents.

ORU spokesman Jeremy Burton said he did not know what was happening in lawsuits recently filed against ORU, Oral Roberts Ministries and the organizations’ officials.

A gag order prevents the parties from talking about the most publicized lawsuit, in which three former professors sued ORU for alleged wrongful termination. John Swails settled his portion of the case and was rehired by ORU, but Tim and Paulita Brooker are continuing with the suit. They are scheduled to file a new version of their lawsuit by Friday.

Former ORU accountant Trent Huddleston and students Cornell Cross II and David Brown each sued ORU. Nothing has happened in court with those cases since November.

Cross, who claimed his potential degree from ORU had been devalued, said, “There were wrongs committed,” so, “This is not a drop situation —this is a settle situation.”

His attorney, Gary Richardson, who is an attorney for the plaintiffs in all four lawsuits, said whether the latter three would be settled “is the $64,000 question.” No discussions or settlement talks are scheduled, he said.

April Marciszewski 581-8475
april.marciszewski@tulsaworld.com

By APRIL MARCISZEWSKI World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment Fifty Dollar Fine, (1/24/2008 2:04:33 AM) "Former ORU accountant Trent Huddleston and students Cornell Cross II and David Brown each sued ORU. Nothing has happened in court with those cases since November." And they need their heads examined if they think anything ever will. Especially the students. WTF were they thinking? LOL!
	Report Comment Ethics Committee, (1/25/2008 5:11:03 PM) Actually, Richardson needs a visit by an ethics committee for filing those frivolous student lawsuits.
	Report Comment M.S., (1/27/2008 4:32:15 AM) Those lawsuits. Like them or hate them, the lawsuits have pried the lid off the cesspool at ORU, led to RR and LR resignations, ended the climate of fear, led to the departure of the tv-evangelist bandits from the ORU Board of Regents, and led to a promising new day under the Green family. So like them or hate them, the lawsuits have ended the years of decline, changed the status quo -- and set ORU on a new path. Good for the plaintiffs. Whatever their motives, ORU is much better off today than it was before.
	Report Comment Pay Attention? Such Arrogance!, (1/27/2008 5:15:41 PM) M.S. Is that short for -MISLED??? You are being way too positive toward the situation. You know as well as I that RR and LR are coming back, it will be business as usual, nothing changes, and 50 Dollar Fine is never wrong.
	Report Comment M.S., (1/28/2008 1:33:45 PM) #4 Since you seem to have your knickers in a twist, let's just wait and see whose opinion is right. Time will tell, won't it, yahoo?
	Report Comment Sarah R. Cooper, Columbus, Ms (1/28/2008 7:18:49 PM) I am still waiting for Richard and Lindsey to be accountiable for the misuse of funds. Nothing will clear the air until that happens.
	Report Comment nasa janitor, (1/28/2008 11:34:29 PM) So the truth is that it's still one big FAITH industry that's finally sold to the highest bidder.
	Report Comment To M.S.L.S.D., (1/30/2008 6:59:58 AM) #5. I see sarcasm isn't your strong suit. Well I am truly sorry. What I meant to say was not everyone is always right, no matter how intelligent sounding, how arrogant acting and how willing certain persons are to show their foolishness when placing their talking points up at the top of all conversations, Of course, as you well know, this is the critical 'teaching' that folks like me somehow missed in nary 50 years on the planet! I call it a murderous distraction and a slanderous disability, and it thoroughly distracts from normalized relations whereby setting an unfruitful precedence.. Don't shoot the messenger.
	Report Comment terri , houston (1/30/2008 6:47:36 PM) i just want to say that Richard Roberts is a good man and very down to earth. i personally like him and his family. they reallly dont know me but i have ment them years ago. I believe that the Lord will take a care of his people and he will protect them. God has great plans for ORU and there will be victory in this!!
	Report Comment Former Staff Member, L.A. (2/9/2008 3:45:04 PM) I worked for a high-profile ministry and the things that went on behind the scenes! Those who were placed in key positions of power protected and promoted The Big Guy at all costs and made sure his hands and reputation were kept clean from the dirty work they did on his behalf. None of the lower staff drones were allowed contact with him lest they let slip any tidbits of troubled conscience that might blow the lid off his fantasy. That way if ever publicly or privately confronted he could deny all knowledge of the unethical and ungodly manipulations done for him. The world was told it was all for the glory of Jesus but in reality it was all for the glory of The Big Guy. Many of us stayed thinking we could influence change from the inside but left when we found we could not. It is very difficult to prove to those outside what was common knowledge to those inside. It takes staff members in key positions of power willing to out things. Look how many years it took for some of those key people in ORU to get fed up enough to talk. I hope and pray some in the ministry I was part of will one day do the same.

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