OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Latest on calls for University of Oklahoma Board of Regents member Kirk Humphreys to resign after he compared gay people to pedophiles (all times local):
5:15 p.m.
University of Oklahoma Regent Kirk Humphreys says he has no plans to step down from his post despite calls for his resignation after comments he made comparing gay people to pedophiles.
Humphreys told the Associated Press in an email Tuesday he didn’t mean to compare homosexuality with pedophilia and apologized for his “lack of clarity.” He added that he intends to continue serving on all the board on which he currently serves, including the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents.
About 100 protesters showed up at a regents meeting Tuesday seeking Humphreys’ resignation.
Humphreys did not attend the meeting. It ended with no discussion about the comments he made on an Oklahoma City public affairs TV show that aired Sunday.
Republican Gov. Mary Fallin appointed Humphreys in 2012 and indicated in a statement she doesn’t plan to ask him to step down.
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1 p.m.
The son of University of Oklahoma Board of Regents member Kirk Humphreys is distancing himself from his father’s comments in which he compared gay people to pedophiles.
Oklahoma City real estate developer Blair Humphreys issued a statement late Monday calling his father’s comments “hurtful and unfair.” Blair Humphreys is the managing director and developer of the Wheeler District, a newly designed residential community along the city’s downtown riverfront.
Calls have been mounting for Kirk Humphreys to resign since he made the comments on an Oklahoma City public affairs TV show that aired Sunday.
The regents are meeting Tuesday in Oklahoma City. Gay rights supporters are among those planning a protest.
Humphreys said in a statement Monday that he regretted his comments and that he didn’t mean to equate gay people with pedophiles.
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12:50 p.m.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin says University of Oklahoma Board of Regents member Kirk Humphreys’ comments comparing gay people to pedophiles are regrettable, but says Humphreys has apologized and “it is time to move forward.”
Fallin issued a statement on the incident Tuesday amid calls for Humphreys to resign. She said she disagrees with the comments. He made them on an Oklahoma City public affairs TV show that aired Sunday.
Fallin appointed the real estate developer and former Oklahoma City mayor to the Board of Regents in 2012.
The regents are meeting Tuesday in Oklahoma City. Gay rights supporters are among those planning a protest.
Humphreys said in a statement Monday he regretted his comments and that he didn’t mean to equate gay people with pedophiles.
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6:46 a.m.
The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents is scheduled to meet for the first time since one of its members compared gay people to pedophiles.
OU regents will meet Tuesday amid calls for board member Kirk Humphreys to resign. He made the comments on an Oklahoma City public affairs TV show that aired Sunday.
An OU alumni group called for his resignation, and the student body president encouraged the campus to voice its opinion on Humphreys’ “ignorant” words. OU’s president said he disagreed with the views.
Humphreys said in a statement Monday night that he regretted his comments and that he didn’t mean to equate gay people with pedophiles. He also told The Oklahoman he’s morally opposed to homosexuality and that he should be able to freely express that belief.
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