Well, I guess we know how James Gallogly is going to destroy David Boren.
Last night, The Oklahoman reported that the University of Oklahoma has hired a very expensive law firm to investigate claims that former Oklahoma Governor, US Senator and OU President David Boren sexually harassed male aides.
Here are the details via Nolan Clay:
The University of Oklahoma is paying one of the largest law firms in the world to investigate former President David Boren, sources have confirmed.
Investigators with the Jones Day law firm have asked whether Boren sexually harassed male aides, sources said.
This is surprising, but let's be honest, it's not that surprising. Despite what mainstream Oklahoma Democrats want you to believe, Boren has always been a opportunistic, two-faced hypocrite, and rumors about his sexploits have been circulating on the fringe and in the mainstream since the 1970s. Plus, as the #metoo movement has reminded us, it's not that uncommon for powerful men in powerful positions to use their power to act inappropriately.
That being said, the timing and circumstances surrounding the investigation do have the feel of a political witch hunt being conducted in a haunted house. Since Gallogly was hired as OU's new president back in 2017, it seems like his three main goals have been to...
1. Alienate himself from the University's Faculty, Students and Staff
2. Mishandle controversy
3. Destroy David Boren's legacy
Give Gallogly some credit. So far, he's done an excellent job accomplishing all three goals. I'd guesstimate that a majority of the University's students, faculty and staff all hate the guy, and that was before he mishandled the blackface controversy. And whether he's cutting back on National Merit Scholars, or launching an investigation into Boren's treatment of male aides and then leaking news of the investigation to the press, it does feel like Boren's legacy is starting to unravel. Way to go President. You get things done.
Boren responded to The Oklahoman's report through his attorney:
Boren, a former Oklahoma governor and U.S. senator, retired last year after nearly 24 years in charge at OU. Through an attorney Wednesday, Boren, 77, denied any misconduct.
"This is not an objective search for the truth. It is a fishing expedition," attorney Bob Burke told The Oklahoman. "President Boren emphatically denies any inappropriate behavior or unlawful activity. He has been a dedicated public servant for more than 50 years and his life is an open book in Oklahoma."
The attorney also said "Jones Day has not accepted our invitation to meet to talk about the matter."
I don't know about you, but I expected a stronger denial. If Boren is really innocent of any inappropriate behavior or unlawful activity, you'd think he would have organized a press conference and sworn on a bible that he's innocent. That's what he did back in the 1970s when his political opponents accused him of being a (gasp!) homosexual:
Geeze. Let's hope Boren never did Company of Men stuff to National Merit Scholars or whatever, otherwise he's going to be caught in a lie with his hand on the bible. That's almost as bad as working with oil executives to try to cover up the true cause of Oklahoma earthquakes, or using your power and clout to sexually harass your employees.
Anyway, I guess we'll continue to follow this story and provide updates. If you were ever harassed by David Boren, or James Gallogly, send us an email. We'd love to hear from you.
