Mary Olive Pierson, defense attorney for former University Alumni Association President and CEO Charlie Roberts, filed responsive pleadings with the state’s 19th Judicial District Court yesterday, comparing the alleged agreement between Roberts and his former employee to prostitution.
In a lawsuit filed Aug. 1, former Alumni Association employee Kay Heath claimed to have been involved in a sexual relationship with Roberts.
Heath’s suit alleges that when certain members of the Association’s Board of Directors learned of the relationship, Roberts and a Board member pushed Heath to resign in exchange for a monthly payoff deal.
The suit alleges Roberts agreed to pay Heath $3,200 every month for the rest of her life.
Pierson denies any monetary agreement between Roberts and Heath and called such an arrangement “an illegal, illicit and immoral contract.”
“That in order to establish her economic independence from her then husband and to entice Petitioner to continue the sexual relationship, Roberts, on behalf of the Association, offered Petitioner employment, which was accepted,” wrote Jeffry Sanford, Heath’s attorney, in the suit.
“Dr. Roberts did not believe he was paying compensation for employment and if the only job of Ms. Heath, according to her, was to provide sex, the so-called agreement is clearly illegal and unenforceable,” wrote Pierson. “She was, at all times, only in the relationship acting as a ‘working girl’ for ‘compensation.’”
Roberts resigned his post Aug. 13, after Heath released a public statement saying she would “immediately dismiss the LSU Alumni Association from the lawsuit the minute that Charlie Roberts is completely disassociated with the Association by firing or resignation.”
NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune confirmed Aug. 15 that Sanford filed an order dismissing the Association from the suit, leaving Roberts the only defendant.
Pierson said any money given to the plaintiff was on a gift-basis, and no University money or Alumni Association funds were used.
“Charlie Roberts thought he was in a romantic, loving relationship with this lady,” Pierson said. “She thought she was working.”
LSU System President F. King Alexander said Wednesday the University is conducting an internal audit in light of the ongoing controversy and stressed the need to alleviate alumni concerns.
“Unfortunately, it does have a spill-over impact on everything LSU, so we have to clear the air as much as possible so we can get back to business and not have something dragging us in a direction we don’t want to spend much time in going,” Alexander said.