Oklahoma Christian University responds to ex-professors' lawsuit filed in December
Leaders of a local private religious university have filed a legal response to a lawsuit filed brought against the school by two former professors.
In documents filed Jan. 10 in Oklahoma County District Court, Oklahoma Christian University said a lawsuit filed in December by former professor Michael O'Keefe and former adjunct professor Scott Hale has no merit.
O'Keefe and Hale filed a lawsuit in against the university and its chief legal counsel Stephen Eck over the way the school handled Hale's presentation in O'Keefe's class in March 2022. The men said their reputations have been tarnished by actions and statements made "wrongfully, intentionally and recklessly" by Eck and the Church of Christ-affiliated university.
The university, 2501 E Memorial Road, is arguing that O'Keefe is contractually bound to settle the issue with the school through arbitration, thus the matter shouldn't be decided by the court. The school is asking the court to dismiss Hale's claim.
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“While OC takes seriously any legal matter, we feel confident in our legal position," the university's leadership said in a statement on Friday. "The university will not be deterred from our mission of delivering high quality Christian education.”
O'Keefe is suing the university for breach of contract, arguing that university leaders fired him shortly after Hale gave a presentation in his class, without giving him due process as a tenured professor, thus violating his employment agreement. As a graphic arts professor, O'Keefe had been on the staff of the university at 2501 E Memorial Road for 41 years — and granted tenure in 2001 — before he was terminated.
O'Keefe and Hale, an Oklahoma Christian University alumnus and former adjunct professor, also are suing for libel, "false light" and intentional infliction of emotional distress, citing the university's termination of O'Keefe and, in particular, an email that Eck sent to university staff after O'Keefe's termination.
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O'Keefe and Hale allege that Eck's email, which was shared with news outlets, falsely portrayed Hale, who is gay as "a lewd person," among other things. O'Keefe said the attorney's email also falsely portrayed him as "someone who threatens, intimidates and disregards the well-being of students." The men said Eck essentially took Hale's presentation out of context, to their detriment.
Friday, Kevin Jacobs, who is representing both O'Keefe and Hale, said the university is arguing that Hale's claims have no merit because he wasn't named in Eck's email.
"We'll be fighting both of their motions," Jacobs said. "This filing just shows how differently they see this case than we do."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Christian University says ex-professors' lawsuit has no merit
