The former president of the University of Oklahoma has stepped down after being accused of sexual misconduct and Title IX violations from conduct dating back nearly a decade. A key takeaway from the ordeal is how information is so tightly contained in Title IX cases that the public will likely never know what happened.

Former University of Oklahoma President Steps Down Over Title IX Claim

David Boren was the president of the University of Oklahoma from 1994 until 2018. Soon after he left, it was announced that a Title IX case had been filed with the school over Mr. Boren's alleged sexual harassment of other men and that the big law firm Jones Day would be investigating the allegations.

Mr. Boren has claimed that the allegations were unsubstantiated. He has also said that the allegations were a smear campaign after James Gallogly, the incoming president for Oklahoma University, got angry at him when Mr. Boren challenged Gallogly's assertion that the school's finances had been mismanaged during Mr. Boren's tenure.

Most recently, the college's Board of Regents has received Jones Day's findings from their investigation and announced that they would be completely severing ties with Mr. Boren. However, the Board refused to divulge any of the details from the investigation.

Contradicting Claims from Key Complainant

What little is known about the Title IX investigation is that it heavily relies on testimony from one person, Jess Eddy. He was a student who took a class that was taught by Mr. Boren in 2010 and then became a teacher's assistant (TA) for the class the next semester.

At the time, Mr. Boren was the president of the college. He is also a former U.S. Senator.

Mr. Eddy accompanied Mr. Boren on a fundraising trip, where he claimed Mr. Boren made unwanted sexual advances.

However, when he was interviewed by Jones Day as part of the Title IX investigation, Mr. Eddy denied experiencing any inappropriate conduct.

Shortly after the interview, though, Mr. Eddy admitted to calling Mr. Boren personally and asking for money. The details of that conversation are a part of the investigation that has not been disclosed. However, shortly thereafter, Mr. Eddy arranged another interview with Jones Day, where he recanted his denials.

Hiding Investigation Results Creates Conjecture and Uncertainty

By hiding the results of the investigation, the University of Oklahoma leaves open the possibility that Mr. Boren's side of the story is completely true: that the Title IX claim was all a hit-job to smear his reputation.

In a unique twist to the case, the University of Oklahoma cannot even claim that it is protecting the privacy of the alleged victims by keeping the investigation under wraps: even Mr. Eddy has been calling for the release of the Jones Day investigation.

Joseph D. Lento: Title IX Defense

Joseph D. Lento is a Title IX defense lawyer and national advisor who works tirelessly to ensure the accused in Title IX cases get the due process they deserve. Too much is at stake in these cases to keep important details in the dark.

Contact him online or call his law office at (888) 535-3686 for the legal guidance you need.