Did Bad Blood Between U. of Oklahoma’s President and His Predecessor Hasten Sudden Departure?

Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman via AP Images

James L. Gallogly’s short-lived presidency at the University of Oklahoma was unusual from the start: Most new presidents treat their predecessor’s accomplishments with reverence, even as they make changes and chart their own path.

But at his first Board of Regents meeting, in June, Gallogly said the university was in a financial mess, and he laid the blame for “inefficiencies and overspending” at the feet of the previous president, David L. Boren.

Boren, a former U.S. senator and governor, is a beloved figure among many Oklahomans.

Some disputed that the university’s finances were really in crisis, but soon there was a bona-fide scandal for the regents to deal with: sexual-harassment allegations against Boren and another former administrator, the vice president for university development, Tripp Hall.

Could Gallogly, who had repeatedly criticized the prior leadership, be trusted to lead an impartial inquiry into serious accusations of abuse?

His unexpected departure as president, announced over the weekend, seems to suggest that some of Oklahoma’s regents had concerns.

Gallogly, a former oil-company executive, made his resignation public on the day after graduation ceremonies. He said it would take effect once the regents decide on a transition plan.

The written announcement, coming just 10 months after he took office, sent shock waves through the campus. The amount of space he devoted to discussing the sexual-harassment inquiry regarding an unnamed university employee, who was widely known to be Boren, suggests that the controversy had played a role in Gallogly’s decision to step down.

In November the university hired the Jones Day law firm to investigate complaints that Boren had sexually harassed male aides. Boren, 78, who retired last year after nearly 24 years as president, has denied the accusations.

In February his lawyer, Bob Burke, released a statement saying that the investigation was “not an objective search for the truth” but “a fishing expedition.”

Gallogly denies that characterization and says he’s being unfairly accused of trying to tarnish the reputation of his predecessor, because he criticized the financial state of the university and was at the helm when the Title IX investigation against Boren began.

“Unfortunately, a false narrative has been created that the explanation of the university’s financial condition, the disclosures of improper gift reporting, and changes to various people serving in the administration were somehow intended to diminish the legacy of our past president,” he said in the written statement on Sunday. “That false narrative is now also being used to question the motives and propriety of the ongoing investigation of alleged misconduct by person(s) yet to be disclosed by the university.”

Gallogly declined an interview request on Monday.

‘A Necessary Event’

Two alleged victims of sexual misconduct at the university released a joint statement praising Gallogly’s decision to retire, The Oklahoman reported on Monday. But their statement questioned the university’s commitment to full transparency and to holding accountable those associated with the accusations.

“While we do believe that Jim Gallogly’s resignation was a necessary event in the interest of the health of the diverse body of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Oklahoma, we remain concerned that the regents are yet unresolved to do the right thing and turn over all evidence to law enforcement regarding misconduct by David Boren and Tripp Hall during their tenure,” wrote Jess Eddy and Levi Hilliard.

Eddy has accused Boren of making repeated unwanted sexual advances. Hilliard has alleged sexual misconduct against Hall, who, like Boren, denies wrongdoing.

Gallogly’s retirement announcement prompted speculation on social media that he wanted to stop rumors that the sexual-harassment investigation was just his latest effort to damage Boren’s reputation.

In his statement Gallogly said the university was legally required to open an investigation once it received the complaints. But he said he would not be part of it in the future.

“The sitting president of the university is normally a part of the Title IX appeals process,” Gallogly’s statement says. “Given I am departing, I will not serve in the appellate-process role going forward, and a third party, yet to be appointed, will take my place.”

Even more difficult than the financial challenges the university has faced, Gallogly said, is the scrutiny it will receive as the Title IX process plays out.

“Great care has been taken to ensure a fair, thorough, independent investigation where scores of people were interviewed and thousands of documents reviewed,” he wrote. “My departure should clearly demonstrate that there has never been any personal benefit in any outcome. The suggestion that there was ever any ill will in prior factual disclosures was ridiculous when made, and the false narrative that continues is now even more untenable.”

The abuse allegations have moved beyond the university’s in-house response — the matter is also being pursued by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

“We were asked to investigate by the University of Oklahoma’s police chief,” said Brook Arbeitman, a spokeswoman for the state bureau. He said the chief had asked the bureau in March to help investigate allegations against Boren and Hall. “The only other thing I can tell you is that we are still investigating,” Arbeitman said.

Reaction to Gallogly’s resignation among faculty members was mixed. Suzette R. Grillot, a former dean of international studies who was demoted after a run-in with Gallogly, said that “many of us are very pleased to see that he’s moving on but also very sad about how all of this played out, and the damage that was done to the university over the past year.

“I suspect that the way in which this Boren investigation is being handled, not only by Gallogly but also by the regents, culminated in a decision to part ways,” Grillot said.

Grillot sued Gallogly, the provost, and the Board of Regents in March, asserting that they had paid her less because she’s a woman and had retaliated against her for speaking her mind.

In January she was videotaped during an antiracism rally confronting Gallogly and demanding that he step down. Grillot was among those who criticized the president for not reacting strongly enough after videos surfaced of two people — at least one of them a student — in blackface.

Gallogly appealed for understanding during the tense forum, saying he was hurt that people with “hatred” in their hearts were blaming him for systemic problems that he insisted he was trying to alleviate.

‘He Didn’t Expect All of That’

Some faculty members suggested that the job might have been too stressful for someone coming from outside academe.

“This has been one of the most difficult years to be here as a faculty member, dealing with and trying to support students dealing with systemic racism at OU,” said Karlos K. Hill, an associate professor of African and African-American studies and chair of the department. “I can only imagine what it was like for President Gallogly, who was transitioning from business to education.”

Cutting budgets, laying off people, “and on top of that, having to deal with issues of racism on campus — I imagine he didn’t expect all of that to happen in his first year in office,” Hill said. “All of those things are unpopular, and if you’re not a creature of the academy, it can be especially hard.”

Hunter Heyck, a professor of the history of science who serves in the Faculty Senate, said he was “stunned” by the announcement.

“I think very highly of Jim Gallogly,” he said. “I think he’s an honest person who walked into a situation that was quite different from what he was led to believe.”

Under Boren, the university’s financial system was “outdated and confusing,” and Gallogly helped restore order, Heyck said. That involved layoffs, which angered many on the campus.

“He went through budgets with a fine-toothed comb,” Heyck said. “He turned our financial situation around, and that’s a big deal. No one knew about the good things he did, but every misstep, people heard about right away.”

The secretive search process involved in Gallogy’s selection got him off to a bad start, Heyck said. As a result, “a lot of faculty were primed to oppose him and think he’s the bad guy.”

Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes, chair of the Board of Regents, issued a statement thanking Gallogly for his service.

“The work he had to do and the decisions he had to make were not always easy, but he made them with great professionalism and personal courage, always with a focus on the best interests of OU,” she wrote. “Our university is in a better place today because of Jim.”

Katherine Mangan writes about community colleges, completion efforts, and job training, as well as other topics in daily news. Follow her on Twitter @KatherineMangan, or email her at katherine.mangan@chronicle.com. Michael Vasquez is a senior investigative reporter. Follow him on Twitter @MrMikeVasquez, or email him at michael.vasquez@chronicle.com.