DUI arrest for former ORU president Richard Roberts

[badger]

In case you haven't heard this morning's schadenfreude:


Former Oral Roberts University President Richard Roberts was arrested early Tuesday on complaints of driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding.


An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper clocked Roberts driving 93 mph in a 65 mph zone just after midnight on the Creek Turnpike west of U.S. 169, according to his arrest report.

Roberts' blood-alcohol level was measured at .11 percent, which is above the legal limit of .08, the report says.

More info here. (http://www.tulsaworld.com/specialprojects/news/crimewatch/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20120124_450_0_Former631235)

He still has his daddy's hair:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/articleimages/2012/20120124_richard-roberts.jpg

I think many in Tulsa still are bitter about the way he got off the hook after leading ORU and his father's ministry into the ground. A brief synopsis:

1- ORU on the verge of financial ruin
2- It is revealed that the Robertses (Richard and wife Lindsey) were living high on the hog as ORU was sinking financially
3- Oral himself tries to rally the faculty by coming back from California retirement for a private meeting... to no avail
4- Hobby Lobby's family bails ORU out on the condition that the Roberts family GTFOs.
5- Richard Roberts gets big severance en route out... and pretty much no punishment for what seemed to be embezzlement.

Thus, this is a comeuppance in many people's eyes, methinks. Further public shaming. And, yes, "schadenfreude."

[Midtowner]

I think many in Tulsa still are bitter about the way he got off the hook after leading ORU and his father's ministry into the ground. A brief synopsis:


That "ministry" was always about the financial gain of the Roberts family, all the rest of it was a sideshow. I never could understand the sort of mentality someone would have to have in order to think that a television prayer rug did something or that if Oral doesn't get $1MM or whatever, the Lord was going to call him home. I mean... what a bunch of criminals.

And the folks who donated money so the Roberts could live a lavish lifestyle? I'm not sure that "idiot" is even close to strong enough a word.

[badger]

That "ministry" was always about the financial gain of the Roberts family, all the rest of it was a sideshow. I never could understand the sort of mentality someone would have to have in order to think that a television prayer rug did something or that if Oral doesn't get $1MM or whatever, the Lord was going to call him home. I mean... what a bunch of criminals.

And the folks who donated money so the Roberts could live a lavish lifestyle? I'm not sure that "idiot" is even close to strong enough a word.

While Oral did get to retire to sunny Cali off of donated money, I really think that Oral didn't abuse it to the extent that the younger generation did.

At least Oral laid the foundation for a university here in Tulsa that has benefited the community. It may never be on the academic par of TU, OU or even OSU, but it draws students from around the world to Oklahoma to be educated in a religious atmosphere and I do think that they are on the right track now with the Hobby Lobby family, a new president, etc.

The "Lord calling him home" thing I think was a desperation move to keep ORU going, because creditors were ready to shut the place down. You just can't do some of the things they were trying to pull --- a fully accredited medical school that offered free schooling in exchange for doing two years of mission work?! Oh my...

[olevetonahill]

In the beginning of Orals ministry I really believe he was very devout and sincere. He had one of the greatest Healing ministries. Towards the end I believe HIS wants and desires got in the way
Richard was and always will be, just a dick

[Midtowner]

My father tells a story about him having an encounter with Roberts once... dad was General Counsel of a state department. There was a party celebrating some big going-on. Roberts was there making the rounds, mingling with the crowd. He'd stick his hands in his pockets, then try to shake someone's hands. He obviously had heating pads in his pockets because his hands were extremely warm. He came up to my father and grabbed him by the hands. Dad, who had had a few at that point said "Oh my God, my hemherroids are cured!" Roberts apparently thought that was hilarious.

[virginiasooner]

Wasn't that all "God calling me home" an attempt to fund his medical school/hospital? And what about the 700 foot Jesus? Does anyone else remember that? The early 1980's were a loooong time ago.

BTW, my grandmother, a good Episcopalian if there ever was one, LOVED Oral Roberts. She thought that taking us out to tour the campus was quite a thrill.

[badger]

Wasn't that all "God calling me home" an attempt to fund his medical school/hospital?

I think it was an attempt to keep the school and possibly the ministry from going under. Keep in mind that ORU had more than $50 million in debt when Richard finally got the boot. The dated, decrepit buildings on campus were dated and decrepit for a reason.

Someone who talked to Oral Roberts a lot had an interesting take on him... apparently asked him if he knew how silly a 700-foot Jesus sounded. And he said that he did, but said that's what God told him to say.

[picasso]

That "ministry" was always about the financial gain of the Roberts family, all the rest of it was a sideshow. I never could understand the sort of mentality someone would have to have in order to think that a television prayer rug did something or that if Oral doesn't get $1MM or whatever, the Lord was going to call him home. I mean... what a bunch of criminals.

And the folks who donated money so the Roberts could live a lavish lifestyle? I'm not sure that "idiot" is even close to strong enough a word.
Some truth to that but otherwise you're clueless.

[Okla-homey]

I bet there's more to this than meets the eye. Think about it. He's hauling ***, over 90mph, drunk, headed home, late at night. So, which is it? Was he at his girlfriend's house, a hotel room with a hooker, or a titty bar?

[picasso]

Maybe he was hurrying home to watch The Bachelor?

[Pricetag]

And what about the 700 foot Jesus? Does anyone else remember that? The early 1980's were a loooong time ago.
My dad had a poster in his office of the street in front of ORU with a road sign that said "900-foot Jesus crossing."

[badger]

I sometimes wonder if Lindsey Roberts was just naive. $50,000 a year for clothes and other expenses? Hell, that's less than $1,000 a week! It's only a few hundred if you really crunch the numbers! There are tons of embezzlers out there that take far more! I'm just trying to be a presentable first lady of the university and ministry!

This is what I've found many embezzlers' arguments to be in court ---- that they didn't realize how much the amount they were taking added up to, because it seemed to be so minor in single helpings.

[KantoSooner]

Those who'd separate the old man (and I refer to Oral, not the retarded brother, Anal, who the family doesn't talk about), from nefarious activities are flat out wrong. There never was anything to the entire family except a powerful lust for money.
My family grazed dairy cattle for them in the 1940's and got ripped off. When it came time to be paid, Oral tried to give them a prayer blanket instead and finally danced around to the point where my G.Grandfather had to accept about $0.25 on the dollar.
They are all scoundrels and crooks. That they operate tax free is a testimony to the stupidity of our tax code and, more so, to that of their donors.

[badger]

Funny and true story:

The day after Richard is arrested for DUI, ORU finally breaks ground on that student center they've been planning for years.

It'll be done next January.

For a long time, it was an empty lot with a sign, much like OSU's athletic village when Boone's hedge fund profits disappered.

ORU is moving forward without the Roberts family and dare I say they seem tons better off without them. Maybe they should change it to "Oklahoma Religious University." Same initials, no Roberts affiliation.

[StoopTroup]

I went to Basketball Camp there 3 Summers. Oral would walk into Breakfast in his Gucci Shoes and say a prayer with us which was cool as far as I'm concerned. He was President of the University and we didnt deserveanything other than what they said we were to get in the camp brochure. I think it said he did a prayer breakfast with us during camp I had some good times there and really learned a lot from Coach Hale. I grew up watching Tulsa, ORU and OU Basketball. I liked all three programs. Good times.

To bad Richard didn't do as good a job at getting folks to believe.

[Flagstaffsooner]

What do you call two queers named Bob?


Oral Roberts.

[olevetonahill]

What do you call two queers named Bob?


Oral Roberts.

:drunk:

[Midtowner]

While Oral did get to retire to sunny Cali off of donated money, I really think that Oral didn't abuse it to the extent that the younger generation did.

Ah, so you would describe his lifestyle as spartan?


At least Oral laid the foundation for a university here in Tulsa that has benefited the community. It may never be on the academic par of TU, OU or even OSU, but it draws students from around the world to Oklahoma to be educated in a religious atmosphere and I do think that they are on the right track now with the Hobby Lobby family, a new president, etc.

It's a religious institution based on fraud. If the hypocrisy of its foundation doesn't bother you, I guess that's fine.


The "Lord calling him home" thing I think was a desperation move to keep ORU going, because creditors were ready to shut the place down. You just can't do some of the things they were trying to pull --- a fully accredited medical school that offered free schooling in exchange for doing two years of mission work?! Oh my...

If not for the religious context, (and arguably that's irrelevant) what he did here was literally criminal. He defrauded little old ladies out of their money to fund some sort of pie in the sky concept which was more about satisfying his ego than anything else.

[badger]

If the hypocrisy of its foundation doesn't bother you, I guess that's fine.


A lot of stuff was built on tricky foundations, but what matters most is how they've grown from their beginnings, corrected past wrongs and what they are doing now and plan to do in the future.

They completely eradicated that university of the Roberts family, as in NO positions of power, NO faculty salary, etc.

They are turning that place around financially and the students are fun (you can see them out Friday nights with 'Jesus Loves You' signs) about 5-mile radius from campus.

There is no question in my mind that at least the younger Roberts generation did many things wrong, but they're out, and as we can see, still getting publicly shamed.

BUT, ORU has moved on without Richard and Lindsey Roberts, and without Oral (since, above all other reasons, he's dead now), and they seem to be doing much better.

[Midtowner]

The school needs a new name. Naming your Christian school after a TV evangelist fraudster isn't going to win you academic brownie points. Also, charging $413/credit hour for a sub-standard education which few people are going to respect isn't too much worse than selling prayer rugs or telling old ladies to give you all their money or God's going to call you home.

[picasso]

I highly doubt the graduates of ORU give a **** what you think about it Midtowner. My brother and wife included.
I know I don't.

[olevetonahill]

I highly doubt the graduates of ORU give a **** what you think about it Midtowner. My brother and wife included.
I know I don't.I dint go there and I DGAF what he thinks
Do that count ?

[Midtowner]

I highly doubt the graduates of ORU give a **** what you think about it Midtowner. My brother and wife included.
I know I don't.

Awesome. Well, I suppose they can have their degrees named after some ignorant charlatan, and that's cool 'n stuff. Their choice.

[StoopTroup]

Some folks just don't like Oral or his Son. They view them as insincere fakes who robbed from Folks.

It's unfortunate that it's that way but such is the path for some as they travel through life. No one said it would be easy. Getting a DUI definitely isn't going to help Richard.

[Midtowner]

Some folks just don't like Oral or his Son. They view them as insincere fakes who robbed from Folks.


How else could you possibly interpret prayer rugs or give me a million bucks or the Lord will call me home?

[StoopTroup]

How else could you possibly interpret prayer rugs or give me a million bucks or the Lord will call me home?

Well....I think it's pretty amazing actually that Oral started in a Tent doing revivals and he was able to take his type of Faith Healing to where he would go up into his Eternal Flame Tower and pray to God for direction. I'd imagine if you thought you could raise enough capitol like that that you would rather open envelopes with cash in them than have to wait around for a check from an Insurance Company or settlement of funds.

Imagine that you are just able to call your Secretary and have someone drive you out to Jones Airport....fly you to Dallas or KC and then take first class on a commercial carrier to wherever in the World you wanted to go and when you got Home they would have you sit in a chair and put some makeup on you and you would then read from a script about how you always expect another miracle....

I'd be like having one of those Genies in a bottle only this one you truly believe is an Angel and sent from God.

You couldn't really be to upset with yourself if it was happening to you would you?

As far as I know Oral or Richard never sent goons to steal little old ladies Social Security checks. Most folks sent them the money via free will.

For every person that Family thought Oral's Ministry took advantage of their Mother or Father/Grandmother or Grandfather....there was probably a Family Member that thought they knew what to do with the money too.

Sometimes I think that maybe some Money they received probably went into better hands than if it was left for Family to fight over.

[8timechamps]

There's no need to change the name of the school. Personal feelings aside, Roberts did found the school, so it would be nuts to rename it. If we're going to start changing things because down the line, someone realized that someone/something involved wasn't on the up-and-up, then we have a lot of changing to do. Or, we could just leave things as they are and learn from our history.

[badger]

For every person that Family thought Oral's Ministry took advantage of their Mother or Father/Grandmother or Grandfather....there was probably a Family Member that thought they knew what to do with the money too.

Sometimes I think that maybe some Money they received probably went into better hands than if it was left for Family to fight over.

Word. It's easy to think about how others should spend their money, or how older people don't know as well as younger people.

On a somewhat related note, I just heard a sad case about a different family moving an older family member into assisted living without this person knowing what was going on. Thought it was just a family visit... turns out there was no intention of taking this person back home. I am not related to this person, but was acquainted. I just feel awful about it, because despite this person's age, there was no Alzheimer's or anything, just perhaps some repeating words due to bad hearing. It must break this person's heart to know what the family did :(

[Midtowner]

Word. It's easy to think about how others should spend their money, or how older people don't know as well as younger people.

On a somewhat related note, I just heard a sad case about a different family moving an older family member into assisted living without this person knowing what was going on. Thought it was just a family visit... turns out there was no intention of taking this person back home. I am not related to this person, but was acquainted. I just feel awful about it, because despite this person's age, there was no Alzheimer's or anything, just perhaps some repeating words due to bad hearing. It must break this person's heart to know what the family did :(

That happens all the time. Step 2 is getting granny to sign a rewritten Will, or forging one and waiting 'til she kicks it.

What I see here is a bunch of folks justifying fraud against granny by saying it happens all the time... horse****. It's bad no matter who does it. It's worse when the person doing it is doing it in Jesus' name. Oral Roberts was a lying sack of **** and he's likely burning in hell if hell exists. Naming a school which teaches ministry and spiritualism after him would be like the Catholic Church naming hospitals after Torquemada.

[Midtowner]

Well....I think it's pretty amazing actually that Oral started in a Tent doing revivals and he was able to take his type of Faith Healing to where he would go up into his Eternal Flame Tower and pray to God for direction. I'd imagine if you thought you could raise enough capitol like that that you would rather open envelopes with cash in them than have to wait around for a check from an Insurance Company or settlement of funds.

You're comparing being a lawyer to what Oral Roberts did? That's a stretch. I have to take cases and either settle them between two parties who agree on what the right thing to do is, or I get to take it in front of a judge (who typically is astute enough to discern whether anyone is being untruthful) or a jury. If I get caught lying, it could cost me my license to practice law.

That's not to say that there aren't any lawyers out there who are dishonest, but those ladies and gentlemen quickly earn a reputation. Once you get that sort of reputation, you're not able to really be an effective advocate for your clients. Those sorts often do wind up losing their licenses in the long run.

But take what Oral did.... faith healing? Telling little old ladies to send him cash or he'd be called home? Sorry, but that is simply fraud. If you or I did the same thing, we could be charged with crimes.

[olevetonahill]

I have said it before , I beleive that Oral was very sincere and Devout WHEN he started , Now Ill let that go, cause this aint about Oral.

Back to Richard , Richard is and ALWAYS has been a Mega Doosh. He was a Druggie before Oral talked him in to coming back to Tulsa and cleaning up his act to be groomed to take over. I believe hes still a Druggie Doosh

[olevetonahill]

:sour:

[soonervegas]

I'd like you to tell me that you are a false prophet... I'd like you to tell me that you are, and have been, a false prophet... and that God is a superstition.

[badger]

I have said it before , I beleive that Oral was very sincere and Devout WHEN he started , Now Ill let that go, cause this aint about Oral.

Back to Richard , Richard is and ALWAYS has been a Mega Doosh. He was a Druggie before Oral talked him in to coming back to Tulsa and cleaning up his act to be groomed to take over. I believe hes still a Druggie Doosh

Yeah, the only reason I brought this whole thing up was because of Richard's arrest. It's really not about Oral anymore, because he's dead, he retired years ago, etc.

[47straight]

While I think they've done some highly questionable things, I do appreciate a lot of what he says. He's not afraid to speak his mind and we need that sort of thing. I agree he's probably a bit of a slimeball... he's managed to amass about a small fortune while serving as a minister. That alone is pretty questionable.

[badger]

An update --- Richard's been formally charged with DUI and speeding.

Linky (http://www.tulsaworld.com/specialprojects/news/crimewatch/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20120130_450_0_Richar94140)

This basically means nothing, innocent till proven guilty, but if they prove him guilty, it will be of driving 93 mph in a 65 mph zone while having a 0.11 blood-alcohol level. :eek:

[8timechamps]

Word. It's easy to think about how others should spend their money, or how older people don't know as well as younger people.

On a somewhat related note, I just heard a sad case about a different family moving an older family member into assisted living without this person knowing what was going on. Thought it was just a family visit... turns out there was no intention of taking this person back home. I am not related to this person, but was acquainted. I just feel awful about it, because despite this person's age, there was no Alzheimer's or anything, just perhaps some repeating words due to bad hearing. It must break this person's heart to know what the family did :(

This is probably best for a separate thread, but this kind of stuff kills me. That's how our society works, we get old and put away because nobody can be "bothered" to deal with us (not speaking about myself, just "we" as in our older members of society).

I know there are plenty of families that don't do this, but there are also thousands of nursing homes filled with old folks whos families just can't be bothered to care for them. I'll keep my mom out of a nursing home as long as she's physically/mentally able to function. At some point, the quality of life dictates that elderly folks need around the clock care, but until that time we'll take care of her. It's the least we can do.

[badger]

You're right, it probably is a separate thread. :)

My family tried to take care of grandma at home as long as possible, but it got to the point that she was falling a lot and mom couldn't watch her 24/7, so on the promise that she'd visit every day, grandma was moved to a nursing home.

Mom kept her promise to visit every day, but even at the nursing home, grandma would still have the tendency to fall, because she had been able to walk most of her life and still could to some degree. It took a wheelchair restraint that mom had to demand (social workers don't like restraints, you see) to prevent her from falling.

That case I mentioned is really none of my business, since the person is not family and just an acquaintance, but it reminds me exactly what I do not want to do when my own parents get older. I remember Doonesbury doing a comic on this a few years back, when Doonesbury forced his mom to move from Tulsa to Seattle and then she escaped back to Tulsa one day because she couldn't take another day of being away from Oklahoma (she kept saying "It's not Oklahoma" whenever Doonesbury tried to talk up Seattle).

As for ORU... eff them because they'll be in the tourney and OU wont :mad:

But good on them for getting new leadership, a new family in charge (well, not "in charge" but they do have a few members on the board and fund the school's improvements) and a fresh start.

[Pricetag]

As for ORU... eff them because they'll be in the tourney and OU wont :mad:
Oakland will beat them in the conference tourney. They always do when ORU has a really good team.

One of the Tulsa Sports Animal guys made me laugh the other day when he was pumping up ORU, talking about how the season really should be to this point. He said they "slumped" against OU, dismissed the loss as some kind of fluke, and moved the game to the "should be win" column. OU handled those guys.

[badger]

Oakland will beat them in the conference tourney. They always do when ORU has a really good team.

One of the Tulsa Sports Animal guys made me laugh the other day when he was pumping up ORU, talking about how the season really should be to this point. He said they "slumped" against OU, dismissed the loss as some kind of fluke, and moved the game to the "should be win" column. OU handled those guys.

If I recall correctly, ORU put up a fight in the first half before we took off in the second. It was also at LNC.

ORU also has a Big 12 win... against awful Texas Tech. And they were at the Mabee Center here in Tulsa for that game, so does that really count? :D