Professor brings in openly gay speaker and is fired by Christian university, lawyer says
A longtime professor at Oklahoma Christian University was fired after he brought in an openly gay man to speak to one of his classes, according to his attorney.
Michael O’Keefe reportedly taught for 41 years at the Oklahoma City private university, where he was a graphic design professor.
His wife, Lori Osley, said he had “given his heart (and) soul” to the students before his sudden firing. She laid out the reason why O’Keefe was let go.
“Because he brought in a guest speaker, who was a former alum, to visit with the students about how he overcame a personal challenge,” Osley said. “However, he was gay. Again, he only spoke about his personal journey, not to promote any type of lifestyle.”
In a statement to KFOR and NonDoc, O’Keefe’s attorney said the professor was fired for “gross misconduct, conduct contrary to the mission and values of Oklahoma Christian University and disregard of the policies and values of the university.”
“Letting students expect a world where you may be different is the message Mr. O’Keefe wanted his students to hear,” the attorney, Kevin Jacobs, told the news outlets. “That’s the message this speaker delivered, not an advocacy of gay rights. Unfortunately, that’s not permitted at Oklahoma Christian University today. It cost Mr. O’Keefe his job.”
Stephen Eck, legal counsel for the university, said O’Keefe’s firing “was made after a thorough review process.”
“The university will always put first the well-being of our students in every decision we make,” Eck said.
Osley said in her post that O’Keefe is not allowed to step foot on the university’s campus.
Julia Layne, who said on Twitter she is a graduate of OCU’s graphic design department, said she spoke with O’Keefe on March 8 after the professor was fired. She said the speaker used explicit language in his talk, which the students were warned about beforehand.
While many students had positive comments in class about the speaker’s story, at least one felt uncomfortable, Layne said.
“Unbeknownst to O’Keefe, the student (or possibly students) complained to the OC administration about the guest speaker,” Layne said. “The exact nature of the complaint, apart from the student feeling uncomfortable, is unknown.”
Layne also voiced her support for O’Keefe, who she called an “amazing man and professor.”
“O’Keefe is the kind of professor who sets his students up for success in every way. I know for certain that I would not be where I am today without Michael O’Keefe.”
The professor has not filed suit against the university as of March 15, but Jacobs said in his statement to KFOR that O’Keefe plans to evaluate his options.
Others also condemned Oklahoma Christian for its alleged actions, while backing the longtime professor.
“Imagine any closeted students, staff, or administration. How fearful they must be today to walk the halls of a homophobic school,” said Marc Blackwell, a former student of O’Keefe’s. “This discrimination, bigotry, and judgmental behavior must stop. It’s traumatizing and OC is literally putting kids lives in danger.”
“To placate some very powerful people, OC has alienated a lot of ‘little’ people like me, a lot of influential alumni,” Dan Harris Lovejoy, another alum of the university, said on Facebook. “And perhaps most important, made some of the most vulnerable people on campus, the LGBT students, feel more vulnerable, more frightened, more isolated.”
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Professor brings in openly gay speaker and is fired by Christian university, lawyer says."