A video of an incident between students, faculty and a state representative March 3 in the Oklahoma Memorial Union has been shared with The Daily.
The 12-second video, which was taken on a student’s cellphone, shows Rep. Aaron Stiles, R-Norman, walking back to the union’s Molly Shi Boren Ballroom after taking pictures of students and faculty outside of the Regents Room, where the students and faculty had just attended a lecture hosted by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program’s Center for Social Justice.
As Stiles walks away, students can be heard saying they had the room reserved until 9 p.m. for the event they had attended, featuring Activist-in-Residence, Shelby Knox, a nationally recognized author, who gave a lecture titled “Why Women’s History Matters.”
Stiles then turns to the group to tell them they have two minutes before they need to leave.
Stiles was attending an event in the ballroom presented by the Eden Clinic, a Norman crisis pregnancy center.
While the video is short, it does not show any sign of a protest or disruptive behavior on behalf of the students or faculty, as Stiles claimed in a press release published March 11 on the Oklahoma House website. Pictures taken on the cellphone show Stiles taking pictures of the group. The pictures do not show any sign of a protest.
Stiles characterized the student group as a “pro-abortion” group that had planned a protest in response to the “pro-life” Eden Clinic, according to the release.
He said protestors were shouting, “We love abortion! We love killing babies!” In the release Stiles also called for an inquiry into campus-protest policies.
Sociology professor Susan Sharp had reserved the Regents Room for an event without posting a notice of the event on the Center for Social Justice’s Facebook page, the release also stated.
However, a visit to the group’s Facebook page shows a notice posted for the event March 3 at 10:06 a.m.
A women’s and gender studies student, who wished to remain anonymous, was contacted by The Daily and he agreed to share the video on the condition that none of the students’ identities would be revealed.
The Daily tried contacting Stiles on Thursday. After sending an email at 1:17 p.m. and calling his office at 1:23 p.m., Stiles’ legislative assistant answered a call at 3:41 p.m. and said Stiles had received the email, but had left the office at that time.
Stiles had not responded to The Daily’s calls or email as of press time.
OU President David Boren cannot issue a formal statement about the incident until more evidence is uncovered, university spokesman Chris Shilling said.
“President Boren has good relationships with both representative Stiles and the Department of Social Justice,” Shilling said. “Obviously, I think President Boren would condemn any behavior that would be detrimental or harmful to our students.”
Police denied a Norman Transcript reporter access to video recordings made by surveillance tapes in the hallway where the incident took place, according to a March 13 Transcript article. Access to the tapes would require a subpoena from a judge, police said.
However, OU Police Department spokesman Bruce Chan said the tapes did not reveal anything consequential and were not used in the police’s investigation.
Sharp wrote a letter to The Daily published March 10 alleging Stiles confronted her and a group of students after the two events in the union ended about the same time.
Stiles confronted her and a group of students standing outside the Regents Room after the events ended, Sharp said. Sharp alleged that Stiles took pictures of the students, asked if they were aware of OU’s student code and threatened to call the police. Sharp then describes a moment that appears in the video, wherein Stiles tells the group they had two minutes to leave.
The letter received more than 60 comments online and was shared 393 times on Facebook as of Thursday. Because of the threatening nature of some comments, the students who shared the video did not feel safe releasing their identities.
One of the students who witnessed the incident said he is surprised Boren hasn’t responded to the incident.
“I feel like the university as a whole, especially President Boren, should say something about the issue because Stiles himself has targeted an OU faculty member and several students,” he said. “I really feel like President Boren should come out and say where he stands on the issue."
Norman Police Department reports show citizens have called the police after interactions with Stiles three times since 2007. One report states that Norman residents called the police after Stiles allegedly gave a resident the middle finger and then threatened to shoot the resident and his daughter.
Former state Rep. Wallace Collins questioned Stiles about this incident during the Norman Chamber of Commerce candidate forum on Oct. 23, according to an Oct. 30, 2008 YouTube video posted on Stiles’ website.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, what did you say? I threatened to shoot somebody in their yard?” Stiles said in response to Collins. “… Are you sure you’ve got the same Aaron Stiles? Because I’ve never been charged or even investigated for any criminal activity.”
Another student who wished to remain anonymous said she is shocked Stiles has been able to get away with his past behavior.
“The past statements that he’s made have been ridiculous,” she said. “Maybe what he did wasn’t illegal, but it was inappropriate, especially for a representative.”
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SoonerNation 1 year, 2 months ago
Wish we had the ability to recall our state house reps.
briareus 1 year, 2 months ago
Stiles true crime is to be a conservative Republican. Anyone who attracts this much hate and criticism must be doing something right.
wizardsleeve 1 year, 2 months ago
A community group has sent out emails to various ethics committees, including OK house or reps, news media throught the region and watchdog agencies detailing all of Aaron Stiles' public incidents going back to his first campaign, which were all posted online.
Boren should step up and take action. He pulls a lot of weight in the political arena. Aaron stiles is an inept fledging young teabagger, who's napoleanic disposition makes him his own worst enemy. This is what happens when Oklahomans vote along party lines.
tannerblair 1 year, 2 months ago
Briareus, if by "doing something right" you mean behaving like a sociopath, then you are spot on. Charles Manson sure did get a lot of attention, I wonder why he never ran for office.
simba 1 year, 2 months ago
What does being a conservative Republican have to do with harassing students unduly? A Democrat who did that would receive the same scrutiny, possibly more due to the conservative political culture in Oklahoma.
ElOjo 1 year, 2 months ago
Why does OUPD still have the tapes? Unless there is an active investigation, those tapes are supposed to be returned to their proper owner, in this case the union. By holding on to them, are they implying they have an active investigation into some criminal activity for which the tapes could be used as evidence?
Steven Zoeller 1 year, 2 months ago
Second time briareus has said that in a comment on a Stiles story. He's either getting paid to sow ambiguity, has not reviewed the evidence pointing to Stiles' absurd conduct, or feels compelled to make a victim out of every conservative he sees bashed in the newspaper. The idea that good people are supposed to earn widespread condemnation is rather dumb. In most cases, it's because they deserve the condemnation in the first place.
Bubba 1 year, 2 months ago
"Aryan" has no style....
-Bubba
OUDad 1 year, 2 months ago
MORE evidence that Glasgow/Stiles is a jerk? SSDD
I think we're all pretty much aware by now that he is Normans' local embarrassment version of Kern, Coburn, and Inhofe.
The question becomes: What will YOU do to keep him from being reelected? Be shocked and annoyed to your hearts' content ... but it means nothing if we keep letting idiots like this represent us.
Stiles has all the brain-power of soggy toast, so him being elected in the first place is stunning. Let's make sure we don't repeat such a horrid action next time. Stand up and fight!
natxlaw 1 year, 2 months ago
Briareus,
Samsonlike 1 year, 2 months ago
The Daily says it reviewed the 12 second video. Why can't this video be shown so the beginning of a proper judgment can be made? We have everyone blowing hot air, based primarily on political bias, one individual even bringing up an unrelated, absurd Charlie Manson reference for an incident they've already made a summary judgment concerning without being a witness or having seen any evidence. They have just read about it in the Daily. In a court of law that would be considered hearsay, and not evidence. It would be thrown out. Grow up, sheeple! You're in college to learn something, not spout off what you think is right based on what you feel. Someone with a thimbleful of logic could wipe the floor with most of you in a proper debate forum. Give me proper evidence and a proper judgement can be made.
mythman 1 year, 2 months ago
So a video surfaces proving some of Sharp's claims, but still nothing to prove Stiles' claims. Meanwhile, Stiles' claims are debunked, while none of Sharp's are. So far things aren't coming up Stiles.
missworld 1 year, 2 months ago
Aaron Stiles: Truth-Challenged; Lies about Threatening Family & Other Events by LongshoeSam
This video illustrates his penchant for duplicity pretty well. His acting is laughable! What a jerk!
Sooner71 1 year, 2 months ago
As a student, I believe this campus should be a safe place for us to gather and discuss. When someone threatens that safety, students might be more prone to stay away from lectures and addresses. I would like a public apology from Stiles to Susan Sharp and the group of students, and believe that President Boren should have students' best interest at heart in this matter.
Healthy and respectful discussion, especially concerning differences of opinion, is what fuels a successful and thriving university community. Verbal and political threats from a state legislator on our campus are unacceptable.
Samsonlike 1 year, 2 months ago
Since "Student" stated that "...the video was only revealed to the Daily under the condition that none of the students are identified" and this isn't a trial based on evidence, I'll tell you what the article implies to me; those students indeed tried to incite and antagonize Mr. Stiles and/or those same students are cowards who are afraid to publicly let it be known who they are and what they actually said, not out of a true fear of retaliation from right wing, conservative individuals, but because the majority of University of Oklahoma students are reasonable, rational college kids and the unidentified students in the video are afraid their fellow students might think they are freakazoids. It's a matter of immature individuals still bowing to peer pressure. If you truly believe something, you don't care who sees you. P.S. That's why this post will appear as "Anonymous." I'm a coward who doesn't believe what I'm saying and am a genuine freakazoid.
mythman 1 year, 1 month ago
Samsonlike said, "those same students are cowards ... not out of a true fear of retaliation from right wing, conservative individuals..."
The commenter mustafa expressed his intent to track down and harass these students and their families (below). For what reason do you reject the possibility that these people would rather not have a lunatic calling their homes in the middle of the night? For what reason do you reject the idea that any of the students in the video wanted nothing to do with Stiles, and just wanted to hear a speaker at their school?
Letter to the editor: Representative acts inappropriately Posted by anonymous / mustafa on March 16, 2011 at 6:34 p.m. "The three female students, in the photo article posted by Rhology, need to be identified. Get me their names. I’ll call up their mothers and break the news to them that their daughters have just been identified as child killers."
Longshoesam 1 year, 1 month ago
<p>citizensagainstaaronstiles.wordpres... is up and running!Rhology 1 year, 1 month ago
mythman,
If you haven't figured out yet that mustafa is an intentionally-provocative blowhard, I recommend you start figuring. Might be Stiles-Glasgow himself for all we know.
I say let the video be shown publicly. If they're afraid of Stiles coming after them or something, um, he sorta already saw their faces. You know, when he was there with them.
Pinchfist 1 year, 1 month ago
Samsonlike - clearly you're not familiar with Stiles' bullying tactics. This is why they aren't coming forward.
I've witnessed his blind rage personally (in an unrelated incident two years ago) and I know for a fact they are better off keeping their identities concealed as long as they can.
If you're not convinced, well... oh well.
If I were one of them, I couldn't possibly be bothered to assuage your fears at the cost of my personal well-being.
I also think that, despite your allusions to the contrary, you would do the same thing.
natxlaw 1 year, 1 month ago
I think I know who that Moose ca ca (Mustafa) character might be besides little man StLIES. I saw a couple of guys sign waving for StLIES on election day at the intersection of Robinson and Porter. I know what the little man would call guys like them if they were not waving for him. They were wearing grungy clothes and one of them had a pony tail and glasses. They looked like the kind of guys with more time on their hands than most. I wonder if one of those guys is Moose ca ca?
DisabledVet 1 year, 1 month ago
Nathan Shrewsbury living in District 45. He contacted us this week after an encounter with Stiles and after looking into Stiles’ public statements.
In an email, Shrewsbury wrote: “Stiles possesses neither integrity nor credibility and will not represent Oklahoma well. I planned to vote for Stiles, and even allowed his wife to put a sign up on my yard earlier this season, in spite of having read The Norman Transcript article regarding his application for conscientious objector status"
I was willing to support the guy, Shrewsbury said. That changed when he told The Daily Oklahoman that he never applied for CO status and that The Transcript misquoted him.
According to an article in The Transcript, the medal claim questioned by servicemen, reporter M. Scott Carter noted how Stiles, who served in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, had listed on his campaign website that he had earned the Meritorious Service Medal. It turned out not to be a lie, after fellow servicemen called him out on it. The difference between these two medals is the equivalent of a Volkswagen and a formula 1 race car, you don’t make this kind of mistake. Additionally, in the Transcript article, Stiles’ former boss in the Guard, Matthew Dukes, is quoted as saying “We had received a requirement to send a team to Kuwait and all of a sudden Aaron submits a conscientious objector packet. I believe it was a subterfuge to keep from going to the desert, ‘cause he was on the list.”
Stiles then admits in The Transcript article that he did seek CO status because he had “real issues” with the idea that he “might be asked to kill someone.” Carter quotes Stiles as saying: “Yes, I did seek CO status. I also did everything I was asked to do and went everywhere I was asked to go. I sought the CO status mainly because of my Christian principles.”
Stiles sat in “administrative role at Will Rogers while other people filled in for him and went to the desert.” Last week, The Oklahoman updated the story and in that story, Stiles’ it changed again, and he states: “I’m not a conscientious objector. I never was. I’m not now.”
Reporter Michael McNutt: “I talked to The Norman Transcript. And they’re saying they stand by their story. He hasn’t taken any action against The Norman Transcript. He’s a lawyer and he uses weasel words.”
Carter, now reporting for The Journal Record, recalled the story and told The Oklahoman that Stiles told him he “applied” for CO status and that “it was not granted.”
Shrewsbury said Stiles was very condescending and thin-skinned when the issue of his military service was brought up. Shrewsbury was struck by his defensive attitude and his behavior.
As for the conscientious objector issue “CO status is not an honorable thing people do in a volunteer military. According to that (Transcript) article, he got to skip out on deployment.” Stiles thinks “people are so stupid that they won’t check on” background issues
DisabledVet 1 year, 1 month ago
How Can Lawyers (STILES) sitting on the JUDICIARY Committee VOTE DOWN A BILL that would impact their business and GET AWAY with it? SB 528 and SB 917 were tabled as a result of these actions
Due to the egregious actions of legislators who practice family law and who have refused to recuse themselves from a vote on SB 528 as mandated by the Oklahoma Constitution. It is crystal clear lawmakers have violated the Constitution. They will not hold themselves accountable when they can get away with it. You have representatives who are practicing divorce attorneys that voted to table the SB 528. It is about money in their pocket. They violated the Constituion
Section Article 5 section 24 - "IT STATES" Disclosure of personal or private business
A member of the Legislature, who has a personal or private interest in any measure or bill, proposed or pending before the Legislature, shall disclose the fact to the House of which he is a member, and shall not vote thereon.
This bill can now be brought off the table for reconsideration, WE NEED transparency of Government and VETS and Active Duty Military insist that SB 528 be brought off the table for reconsideration for a fair and transparent vote on the House floor with the Constitutional mandate directing Legislators that are divorce attorneys or any other Legislator attorney that have an interest recuse themselves from the vote.