'Not To My Knowledge' OU President Says About OU-OSBI Cooperation In Boren Investigation

Making quick work of a Friday meeting, OU's Board of Regents ended their second day of meetings without saying a word about the ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual assault against former President David Boren and Vice President Tripp Hall. 

Regents have met for roughly 18 hours behind closed doors in recent weeks, according to their own agenda to discuss ongoing personnel investigations at OU. They entered executive session briefly Friday as well. After returning, however, officials once again gave little insight to any findings or any cooperation with law enforcement.

See Related Story: Tripp Hall Sexual Assault Accuser Recounts Alleged Victimization, Calls For Change

University President Jim Gallogly declined to talk about the investigation during the meeting, however, he stopped to talk to reporters after appearing to say OU and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation have not been cooperating, despite investigations by the state and a Multi-County Grand Jury.

The Grand Jury is set to convene again next week.

“They do their investigation by themselves,” Gallogly said of OSBI investigators. “They might be working with our police department, but I'm not personally involved in it.”

When asked about whether the Board of Regents was working with OSBI Gallogly replied, “Not to my knowledge.”

Board Chairman Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes avoided reporters after their meeting without giving an official statement for the second day in a row. Thursday, she doubled down on her statement she didn't know if OU has given its own findings to state investigators.

“My statement is still correct yes,” Rainbolt-Forbes said as she was exiting hurriedly down a stairwell near in OU’s Memorial Union.

Three men have accused Boren or Hall of sexual misconduct and say so far, they have not been brought in on OU's investigative findings.

See Also: Man Allegedly Assaulted By David Boren Says, ‘I Emotionally Just Spiraled’

OU hired the Atlanta based law firm Jones-Day to investigate financial discrepancies in July of 2018, and they were “initiated again” to investigate the claims of sexual assault in late 2018, according to OU spokesperson Lauren Brookey.

The accusers allege the findings have been given to David Boren and his attorney, Clark Brewster along with board members. News9/Newson6 has not been able to independently confirm those claims. 

“The university is not a law enforcement body is not equipped to handle criminal investigations,” one of the accusers, Jess Eddy said Friday.

“I'm concerned that President Gallogly doesn't know what's going on with the investigation that only [Chairman] Rainbolt-Forbes only does. That there may be a lack of communication between the Board and the President,” Eddy said.

Regents left the meeting to prepare for graduation this weekend. In the meantime, David Boren has asked to meet with Regents. His request was denied for the meetings this week. The Regents’ next official meeting is set for the end June.