Teen responds to allegations

BY APRIL MARCISZEWSKI World Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
1/17/08 at 11:29 AM

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

Lindsay Roberts, wife of Oral Roberts University President Richard Roberts, was like a “second mother” to her daughter’s former boyfriend and did not have a sexual, romantic or inappropriate relationship with him, according to written statements from the former boyfriend and his parents.

A report attached to a lawsuit against ORU, Richard Roberts and others alleges Lindsay Roberts spent a great deal of time with an “underage male,” including spending the night in an ORU guest house with him. Former ORU professors who filed the lawsuit claim that turning over that report, containing a variety of allegations about the Roberts family, to ORU regents earlier this year cost them their jobs.

Matthew Schwoegler, 19, of Bixby, acknowledges in his written statement — “Yes, sir. I guess.” — that he is the male mentioned in the report. His parents, Dean and Teri Schwoegler, also of Bixby, also gave a statement.

The Schwoeglers authorized Frank Hagedorn, attorney for Richard Roberts, to deliver the transcribed interviews to the Tulsa World, Hagedorn said.

Dean and Teri Schwoegler confirmed that they and their son gave the statements.

All three say in the transcribed interviews, dated Oct. 12, that they were talking willingly and voluntarily.

Matthew Schwoegler, in his statement, said the following:

He dated the Robertses’ youngest daughter, Chloe, who is 18, from about 2002 to 2005 or 2006. Lindsay Roberts gave him advice for his relationship with Chloe “because we had some complications like all relationships do,” advice on problems with his parents, like “every teen has . . . sometimes,” and advice to help him in life. “Sometimes, you know, I could say things to her that I couldn’t say to my parents.”

“At one point in my life, she was my best friend. She would pray for me. She helped me through any problem I had. . . . I looked up to her and Richard, you know.”

Schwoegler said the allegations against the Robertses were not true. “Someone’s obviously mad and trying to get back at their family . . . I actually felt responsible. You know, I was like, well, I’m sorry if me being friends with you and texting you for advice and me calling you and Richard and having you guys pray for me and my cousin when he was sick in the hospital —I’m sorry if my friendship caused all of this . . .”

He said that Lindsay Roberts “was in love with her husband” and “nothing has ever happened inappropriate or wrong, ever.”

Dean and Teri Schwoegler, in their statement, said the following:

Their son, as a younger teen, was rebellious, was drinking alcohol and had personal problems that, without intervention from the Robertses, could have resulted in serious consequences.

“I loved my son, didn’t like the direction he was headed and wanted help, prayed for help and didn’t find help from anyone,” Teri Schwoegler said. “. . . Lindsay was the only person that really cared. . . . She would encourage me. . . . She loved my son. . . . He would listen to her more than he would listen to me. . . . I was probably a little bit too critical and judgmental because I expected him not to be the way he was. . . . She was always helping him realize he had great potential.”

Richard Roberts also came to the Schwoeglers’ house and prayed and cared for their son.

Lindsay Roberts let Dean and Teri Schwoegler know “exactly what was going on” with their son and, for a time, talked daily with Teri Schwoegler, the couple said.

Any sexual or improper activity “did not happen” between Lindsay Roberts and Matthew Schwoegler, Teri and Dean Schwoegler both said.

Both Matthew Schwoegler’s and his parents’ statements say that Richard and Lindsay Roberts helped and encouraged many other teens, including some of Matthew’s friends.

Matthew Schwoegler, in his statement, mentioned a variety of ways he interacted with Lindsay Roberts that backed up or bore similarities to allegations made in the report attached to the lawsuit. He said that when he and Chloe Roberts started dating, he did not have a car, and Lindsay Roberts sometimes would pick him up and drive him back to the family’s house. Sometimes Chloe came along or Richard Roberts gave him a ride instead.

The report alleges Lindsay Roberts was photographed 29 times alone with a boy in her car after midnight.

The report also alleges Lindsay Roberts and “the underage male” were shown alone together on Victory Christian School security tapes 81 times.

“That was probably me,” Matthew Schwoegler said. His statement did not explain those occurrences.

Matthew Schwoegler’s statement does not address the report’s allegations that an underage male repeatedly moved into the Roberts house; that Lindsay Roberts and an underage male smoked at the Roberts house; that Lindsay Roberts and an underage male spent the night in an ORU guest house nine times; that three people, including “Mrs. Roberts’ ‘boyfriend,’ ” were caught intoxicated at Oral Roberts Ministries and Lindsay Roberts got them off the hook with security guards; that “a young, blond male” was photographed with Lindsay Roberts at a Richard Roberts speech in Dallas; and more.

Lindsay Roberts said in a written statement last month that the report’s allegations were false, she lives her life “in a morally upright manner and throughout my marriage have never, ever engaged in any sexual behavior with any man outside of my marriage as the accusations imply.”

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