OKLAHOMA CITY – After the recently resigned vice president for the University Community at the University of Oklahoma, Jabar Shumate, announced Wednesday that he was forced out, the university is firing back, saying there’s more to the story.
Shumate resigned earlier this week. He said in his announcement that he was “forced out,” given the choice to resign or be terminated.
Shumate was hired on as the first vice president after the 2015 scandal involving the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity singing racist chants. Shumate served also as the Chief of Diversity, leading the school’s Office of University Community, which was moved into the ousted fraternity’s old house.
In the announcement, Shumate said he learned that the school would be reinstating SAE and moving the Office of University Community out of that house.
“Of course, part of the reason that this is happening is because Mr. Shumate made it clear to the university that he didn`t think that that was a smart move,” said Shumate’s attorney, Lindsey Mulinix-Ewert.
But in a statement, an OU spokesperson denied SAE will be reopening a chapter at OU. They also said Shumate was fired after he was confronted with an audit that found “a significant misuse of university assets.”
He said he will be considering taking legal action against the school, including an EEOC complaint and a discrimination lawsuit.
“I feel forced to make this decision not only as a result of my involuntary resignation, but due to false accusations, the university has made and I anticipate will be making against my character,” Shumate said. “The nature of these allegations are not only slanderous but from my perspective constitute a high tech lynching.”
An OU spokesperson responded with the following written statement:
“When confronted with an audit that concluded last week, which revealed a significant misuse of university assets, Jabar Shumate resigned and the university accepted his resignation. OU highly values and appreciates the position of the chief diversity officer and the office of university community. Because this was not a preplanned exit, the university has not yet named an interim chief diversity officer. We are seeking new leadership for that position immediately.”
The SAE fraternity is not reopening a chapter at the University of Oklahoma and the audit and discovery of misuse of funds had nothing to do with this topic.”
