Not affiliated with, authorized by, or sponsored by Oral Roberts University.

Timeline · 21 public events

A sequence, not a false equivalence.

Policies, survivor allegations, organizing, court decisions, leadership statements, and funding transactions can share a chronology without becoming the same kind of evidence.

PRE-PUBLICATION PREVIEWRESEARCH VERIFIED 2026-07-29Corrections route
  1. day
    policy / federalVerified primary record

    TML-001

    OCR responds to ORU's religious-exemption request.

    Verified primary record; limited to the listed provisions.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Federal OCR correspondence.

    No ORU response required for the record itself.

    Source

    WEB-0013primary

    OCR response to Oral Roberts University, September 20, 1985

    U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

    Locator
    PDF pp. 1-2
    Accessed
    1985-09-20
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  2. month
    organizingVerified secondary report

    TML-002

    ORU-OUT alumni plan a homecoming action.

    Verified secondary report; deepen with contemporaneous archives before expanding.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    The Los Angeles Times reported that ORU did not recognize the group as official.

    Historical response is embedded in the attributed coverage.

    Source

    WEB-0026secondary

    Gay Alumni Group Plans to Attend Oral Roberts Reunion

    Los Angeles Times

    Locator
    full article
    Accessed
    2001-02-18
    Rights
    copyrighted-reporting-link-and-limited-quotation
    Open source (external site)
  3. month
    media / historyVerified primary record

    TML-003

    The Gayly Oklahoman preserves contemporaneous ORU-related LGBTQ coverage.

    Primary historical periodical; page-image verification is still required before quotation.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Archival periodical source.

    No direct ORU response applies to the archive entry itself.

    Source

    WEB-0027primary-historical-periodical

    The Gayly Oklahoman, December 15, 2001

    The Gayly Oklahoman; Oklahoma Historical Society archive

    Locator
    issue OCR and page images
    Accessed
    2001-12-15
    Rights
    archival-periodical-link-rights-review-required
    Open source (external site)
  4. range
    organizingVerified primary record

    TML-004

    Soulforce's first Equality Ride visits religious colleges; archived Oklahoma LGBTQ press materials concern ORU.

    National event verified; ORU-specific details require page-image review.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    No ORU response is captured in the current package sources.

    Historical response unresolved in this repository.

    Source

    WEB-0028primary-organizational

    Soulforce: Our History

    Soulforce

    Locator
    2006 Equality Ride
    Accessed
    2026-07-29
    Rights
    public-webpage-link-and-limited-quotation
    Open source (external site)
    WEB-0029primary-historical-periodical

    The Gayly Oklahoman, March 15, 2006

    The Gayly Oklahoman; OKEQ archive

    Locator
    archived issue and Soulforce press material
    Accessed
    2006-03-15
    Rights
    archival-periodical-link-rights-review-required
    Open source (external site)
  5. day
    policy / federalVerified primary record

    TML-005

    ORU submits a supplemental Title IX exemption request identifying conflicts involving gender identity, sexual orientation, marriage, sexual activity, parental status, abortion, and pastoral office.

    The request itself should be archived and hashed before extensive quotation.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    The request is described in OCR's public response letter.

    No separate ORU response needed for the existence of the request.

    Source

    WEB-0014primary

    OCR response to Oral Roberts University, December 1, 2017

    U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

    Locator
    PDF pp. 1-2
    Accessed
    2017-12-01
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  6. day
    leadership / chapelSource recovery needed

    TML-006

    William M. Wilson delivers the chapel sermon titled “Holy Sex.”

    Title and date verified; the full recording is unavailable and the contextual transcript is blocked.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Type Investigations reported no ORU response to its questions about the sermon.

    A fresh response should be requested before expanded publication.

    Source

    WEB-0018primary-lead

    ORU Chapel 11/01/17 'Holy Sex' by Dr. William M. Wilson

    Oral Roberts University; William M. Wilson

    Locator
    deleted Vimeo video ID 241784660; archived metadata reports 58:30 duration
    Accessed
    2017-11-01
    Rights
    publication-rights-unresolved
    Open source (external site)
    WEB-0019primary-metadata

    Wayback capture of deleted Vimeo record 241784660

    Internet Archive; original publisher Oral Roberts University

    Locator
    archived title and player metadata
    Accessed
    2022-05-20
    Rights
    metadata-link-only
    Open source (external site)
  7. day
    policy / federalVerified primary record

    TML-007

    OCR responds to ORU's supplemental request and identifies the covered regulatory provisions.

    Verified primary record.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Federal OCR correspondence.

    No ORU response required for the record itself.

    Source

    WEB-0014primary

    OCR response to Oral Roberts University, December 1, 2017

    U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

    Locator
    PDF pp. 1-2
    Accessed
    2017-12-01
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  8. day
    federal lawVerified primary record

    TML-008

    The 2020 Title IX regulation takes effect, including the present § 106.12 procedure.

    Current enforcement baseline after the 2025 vacatur of the 2024 rule.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Federal legal background.

    No ORU response applies to the regulation taking effect.

    Source

    WEB-0011primary

    34 C.F.R. § 106.12

    Office of the Federal Register

    Locator
    subsections (a)-(c)
    Accessed
    2026-07-29
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
    WEB-0031primary

    Regulations Enforced by the Office for Civil Rights

    U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

    Locator
    Sex Discrimination
    Accessed
    2026-07-29
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  9. month
    research / advocacyVerified secondary report

    TML-009

    REAP and College Pulse publish The LGBTQ+ Student Divide.

    Secondary research; methodology review is needed before using findings.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    This is a research publication rather than an ORU statement.

    No ORU response applies to the report's publication.

    Source

    WEB-0024secondary-research

    The LGBTQ+ Student Divide

    Religious Exemption Accountability Project and College Pulse

    Locator
    report landing page and downloadable report
    Rights
    copyrighted-report-link-and-limited-quotation
    Open source (external site)
  10. day
    litigationVerified primary record

    TML-010

    Plaintiffs file Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education.

    Verified in the appellate procedural history.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    ORU later participated through the intervenor alignment described in the appellate record.

    Refresh ORU's current position before launch.

    Source

    WEB-0015primary

    Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education, 115 F.4th 955

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

    Locator
    PDF pp. 11-13
    Accessed
    2024-08-30
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  11. range
    litigation / OCRVerified primary record

    TML-011

    Thirty-five plaintiffs file administrative complaints; plaintiffs seek emergency relief.

    Verified in the appellate procedural history.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Procedural history reflected in the appellate record.

    Current institutional response should be refreshed before launch.

    Source

    WEB-0015primary

    Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education, 115 F.4th 955

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

    Locator
    PDF pp. 11-13
    Accessed
    2024-08-30
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  12. month
    litigationVerified primary record

    TML-012

    District court holds an evidentiary hearing concerning preliminary relief.

    Verified in the appellate procedural history.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Procedural history reflected in the appellate record.

    Current institutional response should be refreshed before launch.

    Source

    WEB-0015primary

    Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education, 115 F.4th 955

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

    Locator
    PDF pp. 11-13
    Accessed
    2024-08-30
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  13. day
    testimony / litigationAllegation

    TML-013

    Proposed amended pleadings and exhibits publicly compile ORU-related plaintiff allegations.

    Allegations, not findings.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    A current ORU response should be requested before story publication that relies on these allegations.

    Not refreshed in this repository.

    Source

    WEB-0020primary-litigation-pleading

    Proposed Second Amended Class Action Complaint and Exhibits, Hunter

    Plaintiffs in Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education

    Locator
    PDF pp. 70-75
    Accessed
    2022-03-04
    Rights
    public-court-filing-quotation-requires-context-and-review
    Open source (external site)
  14. day
    mediaVerified secondary report

    TML-014

    Type Investigations and Politico publish a profile of Andrew and the lawsuit.

    Public first-person reporting and secondary investigation.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Type Investigations reported no ORU response to its requests.

    A fresh response should be requested before expanded publication.

    Source

    WEB-0017secondary

    Andrew Hartzler Wasn't Allowed To Be Gay on Campus. So He's Suing.

    Sarah Posner; Type Investigations and Politico Magazine

    Locator
    paragraphs beginning 'In November 2017,' 'In 2016,' and 'At ORU'
    Accessed
    2022-05-20
    Rights
    copyrighted-reporting-link-and-limited-quotation
    Open source (external site)
  15. day
    litigationVerified primary record

    TML-015

    District court dismisses the relevant Hunter claims with prejudice and denies leave to amend.

    Verified in the published appellate opinion.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Procedural history reflected in the appellate record.

    Current institutional response should be refreshed before launch.

    Source

    WEB-0015primary

    Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education, 115 F.4th 955

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

    Locator
    PDF pp. 11-13
    Accessed
    2024-08-30
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  16. day
    litigationVerified primary record

    TML-016

    Ninth Circuit affirms the district court's dismissal.

    Last located merits disposition as of 2026-07-29; recheck docket before launch.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Procedural history reflected in the appellate record.

    Current institutional response should be refreshed before launch.

    Source

    WEB-0015primary

    Hunter v. U.S. Department of Education, 115 F.4th 955

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

    Locator
    PDF pp. 2-4, 29-31
    Accessed
    2024-08-30
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  17. day
    federal lawVerified primary record

    TML-017

    Federal district court vacates the 2024 Title IX rule nationwide; OCR returns to enforcing the 2020 rule.

    Verified current agency position; time-sensitive.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    Federal legal background.

    No ORU response applies to the court ruling.

    Source

    WEB-0031primary

    Regulations Enforced by the Office for Civil Rights

    U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

    Locator
    Sex Discrimination
    Accessed
    2026-07-29
    Rights
    public-domain-government-record
    Open source (external site)
  18. day
    public moneyVerified primary record

    TML-018

    ORU's FY2025 audit period ends.

    Audit reports $47,349,716 in total expenditures of federal awards.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    The audited schedule is ORU's own public record.

    No separate request needed for the audit period end and schedule totals.

    Source

    WEB-0007primary

    ORU Single Audit for period ending April 2025

    Oral Roberts University; HoganTaylor LLP; Federal Audit Clearinghouse

    Locator
    PDF p. 25
    Accessed
    2025-04-30
    Rights
    public-record-link-and-limited-quotation
    Open source (external site)
  19. day
    advocacyVerified primary record

    TML-019

    REAP announces a legal partnership.

    Verified legacy-site press release.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    This is a REAP organizational event rather than an ORU response.

    No ORU response applicable.

    Source

    WEB-0022primary-organizational

    REAP Forms Strategic Legal Partnership with Laura L. Dunn

    Religious Exemption Accountability Project

    Locator
    press release
    Accessed
    2025-05-05
    Rights
    legacy-public-website-link-and-limited-quotation
    Open source (external site)
  20. month
    advocacyVerified secondary report

    TML-020

    REAP's board reportedly announces a wind-down of operations and archive preservation.

    Secondary report quoting the board announcement; the primary email should be preserved if available.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    This is a REAP organizational event rather than an ORU response.

    No ORU response applicable.

    Source

    WEB-0023secondary

    LGBTQ Advocacy Group Closes Due to 'Serious Internal Issue'

    Isaac Wood; MinistryWatch

    Locator
    opening five paragraphs
    Rights
    copyrighted-reporting-link-and-limited-quotation
    Open source (external site)
  21. month
    current policyVerified primary record

    TML-021

    ORU issues the November edition of its 2025-2026 Faculty and Administration Handbook.

    Verified official document.

    Inspect evidence and response

    ORU response state

    The handbook is ORU's own official document.

    No separate request needed for the handbook issue date and text.

    Source

    WEB-0005primary

    Faculty and Administration Handbook 2025-2026, November edition

    Oral Roberts University

    Locator
    PDF title and pp. 15-16
    Rights
    official-public-document-link-and-limited-quotation
    Open source (external site)

Research cutoff

The last date is not the last word.

This public chronology was verified through July 29, 2026. Dockets, policies, source availability, organizational status, and institutional responses must be refreshed before launch.

Read the timeline method