OU alum Jayke Flaggert during Norman City Council meeting on Sept. 17.
A politically connected, recent OU graduate who works as an independent contractor for the Norman Economic Development Coalition acknowledged to the OU Daily Thursday that he paid OU students to pack city council chambers.
Jayke Flaggert, who answered the Daily only after it obtained a screenshot confirming his actions, characterized his payments as “transportation and meal stipends” to foster civic engagement among OU students ahead of a historic city council vote on whether to approve a funding model for a $1.1 billion University North Park entertainment district.
“If anyone is looking to make easy money tomorrow evening- I’m looking to hire 15 guys to fill seats at a meeting. You can wear shorts and a polo, just chill a take up room in the room, bring your phone/laptop and listen in if you want.
$12/hour, w $50 minimum if the meeting runs short (which is likely). Would need you there at 4:30PM tomorrow- 5 min from Kappa Sig on Gray St.
(Can someone send to pledges?)."
The following message shows Jayke Flaggert offering students money to fill the city council chambers on Sept. 2, a day before the first public hearing on the entertainment district at city council. OU Daily has redacted Flaggert’s phone number from the photo.
Flaggert sent that message on Sept. 2, a day before the first public hearing on the entertainment district at city council. OU Daily has redacted Flaggert’s phone number from the message it received from a source late Wednesday.
In an email to OU Daily on Thursday, Lawrence McKinney, president and CEO of Norman Economic Development Coalition, defended the practice of offering payment to students for their attendance — while stating the coalition did not pay anyone to attend and that he had no knowledge of payments Flaggert may have made. Furthermore, he criticized the Daily for its coverage on the subject, calling it “disheartening.”
Norman Economic Development Coalition President/CEO Lawrence McKinney during Rock Creek Entertainment District press conference on Oct 2.
“If any payments were made to students, or anyone else, it’s worth noting that such practices are common—whether it’s for petition gathering, sign waving, door knocking, etc. This is neither illegal nor unethical,” McKinney wrote.
“The narrative that citizens were somehow prevented from speaking is simply false, and we would never condone such behavior,” McKinney wrote. “We value public debate as much as anyone, and we look forward to continuing these important conversations.”
At a Wednesday press conference in which city, university and business leaders touted the benefits of the proposed entertainment district, McKinney told OU Daily he didn't know anything about offers of payment.
“I don't know anything about it,” McKinney said Wednesday. “All I can say is NEDC wouldn't participate in anything like that.
Dan Schemm, president and CEO of Visit Norman, told the Daily on Wednesday he also did not know about any offered payments to students. When contacted by the Daily on Thursday to ask if he shared McKinney’s view that such payments were not problematic or unethical, Schemm said he was unsure.
“I haven't really thought about it at all until this came up, so I don't have an opinion until I think a little bit more about it,” Schemm said.
In previous inquiries with OU’s Marketing and Communications team, OU President Joseph Harroz Jr., Norman Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Scott Martin and Schemm, all parties said they did not know of any offers for payment.
None attempted — in the moment they were asked about the matter or in the wake of the Daily’s first story on the subject being published — to defend such a practice as ethical or common.
‘A guy that will pay 15/hour’
The work Flaggert, a 2023 OU alum and owner of Flaggert & Associates Consulting Team, performs for the Norman Economic Development Coalition is not fully clear. However, on Sept. 5 and again on Sept. 18, Flaggert sent press releases on behalf of the coalition. Per his LinkedIn, Flaggert, who is currently pursuing an MBA at Southern Methodist University, previously served as a political director and field director for Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. Flaggert is also listed on the city of Norman’s website as a Ward 7 committee member for the AIM Norman Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. AIM Norman is a comprehensive, 25-year area and infrastructure master plan.
Flaggert’s bio with The Steamboat Institute, a conservative nonprofit, describes him as the leader of a “strategic communications and planning firm based in Oklahoma City that works with political candidates, local communities, innovative companies, and non-profit partners to craft a story for a target audience.”
The Norman Economic Development Coalition, Norman Chamber of Commerce and Visit Norman form Team Norman, a coalition of organizations committed to growing Norman’s opportunities and economy. Team Norman and its members have been longtime advocates for the entertainment district, working on its development with university leaders.
The Daily first contacted Flaggert on Sept. 26 to discuss its reporting on students’ attendance at city council meetings. Flaggert answered the phone and set up an alternate time later in the day to talk. OU Daily called Flaggert later that day and received no response. The Daily subsequently attempted to call Flaggert five times before Tuesday, when it published a story detailing that students were offered payment to attend the Sept. 17 meeting as listed in a message it obtained in which OU sophomore David Echols worked to round up attendees for “a guy that will pay 15/hour” while telling potential attendees “you can’t say why you’re there.”
After receiving the screenshot of Flaggert’s own communications offering payment, the Daily called Flaggert twice and sent an email and text early Thursday.
Flaggert responded Thursday afternoon via text, acknowledging he’d offered payment.
“As a recent OU graduate and current graduate student, I know firsthand how challenging it can be for students to participate in civic activities,” Flaggert wrote. “That’s why I decided to personally provide transportation and meal stipends to a group of college students attending a city council meeting about an important development project that affect students in our community.”
At the Sept. 17 meeting, an OU Daily reporter had questioned Flaggert if he knew why the students had come to the meeting. At the time, Flaggert told the reporter he didn’t know, but believed it illustrated how much students cared about the project.
Throughout both entertainment district public hearings on Sept. 3 and 17, Daily reporters observed students laughing, texting, doing homework, wearing earbuds and sleeping. At the Sept. 3 meeting, no OU students spoke. At the Sept. 17 meeting, only two OU students, Walker Wambsganss and Kie Wooldridge spoke. Wambsganss and Wooldridge have previously told OU Daily they came to the meeting of their own accord.
Flaggert did not answer a follow up question Thursday on whether he paid students out of his pocket.
The Sept. 17 messages disclosed in the Daily’s original story were sent by Echols, a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and a former member of the President's Leadership Class, an OU freshman leadership program. On a May Instagram post by Phi Delta Theta, Echols is listed as an associate of member education on the Interfraternity Council.
According to his LinkedIn, Flaggert was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity as well as the President's Leadership Class during his time at OU.
During the Sept. 17 city council meeting, Flaggert addressed council, voicing his support for the project. Echols can be seen behind the speaker’s lectern on his phone and smiling.
David Echols, OU sophomore, on his phone during Jayke Flaggert's remarks at the Sept. 17 city council meeting.
Jayke Flaggert speaks at Sept. 17 city council meeting. Flaggert commends the students present in the audience.
“You understood that with each name, Norman would secure the resources necessary to build a better future. You encouraged us to register to vote here, knowing that our participation strengthens our representative democracy,” Flaggert said. “I share this to remind you that when it matters, this body recognizes the value and benefits of having students and young adults live, work and contribute to our community.”
Flaggert went on to discuss the presence of OU students in the audience, referencing the students’ appearance at the Sept. 3 meeting.
“I’m standing here sacrificing a good night’s rest before class tomorrow to highlight the strong presence of students who have consistently shown up in this room,” Flaggert said. “Two weeks ago, students filled this chamber. Tonight, they filled it again. Why? Because this project matters, it matters not just for today but for the Norman we envision 10, 20, 40 years from now — a vibrant city that fosters innovation, embraces opportunity and gives its citizens, young and old, a place to live, work and thrive.”
At 9:30 p.m., most of the students walked out — hours before council approved the district in a 5-4 vote.
The entertainment district would include retail and housing developments along with an arena, where OU’s basketball and women’s gymnastics teams would serve as the anchor tenants.
Throughout the past year, some Norman residents have expressed concerns with the funding model, which would include the formation of new tax increment financing districts. A TIF is used to support redevelopment, infrastructure and community-improvement projects to stimulate private investment in an area in need of economic revitalization.
On Sept. 20, Oklahomans for Responsible Economic Development filed a referendum petition with the city to turn the Rock Creek Entertainment District in University North Park over to a public vote. According to Tiffany Vrska, Norman chief communications officer, petitioners have until Oct. 18 to collect the 6,098 signatures necessary for the petition to make it to a citywide vote on Feb. 11.
This story was edited by Ana Barboza, Peggy Dodd and Ismael Lele. Grace Rhodes and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
