OU’s president and first lady have been staying at the OU Inn since Deborah underwent surgery for a broken foot.
Both the president and his wife are staying at the Ohio University Inn, 331 Richland Ave., while a bat infestation at their on-campus home at 29 Park Place is resolved.
President Roderick McDavis has stayed with his wife, Deborah, to “the extent possible given his schedule,” while she recuperates from surgery for a broken foot, OU spokeswoman Katie Quaranta said.
Deborah has been staying at the inn since her surgery, which she had March 11, Quaranta said. She was walking to the second floor from the third of the President’s Residence when a bat flying on the second level startled her, causing her to slip and break her foot.
The university will pay for the McDavises’ stay, which will come out of the “President’s Residence budget,” Quaranta said.
Because the McDavises are not yet out of the OU Inn, officials have yet to receive a bill for their stay.
The cheapest room available at the OU Inn as of Wednesday was $139.95 plus tax per night. A representative from the hotel said the price fluctuates on the weekend.
The university’s Board of Trustees, its governing body, agreed Friday to find the McDavises a new home given the bat situation.
“Once we have made a determination as of the most suitable house, we will then enter into an agreement to rent the house for a prescribed period of time,” said Stephen Golding, vice president for Finance and Administration.
The only requirements of the new house is that it must contain a single-level master access suite, kitchen and living area, it must be in Athens and it must allow the McDavises to carry out their duties, Quaranta said.
During the past 11 years, bats have been found in the home 16 times, according to a previous Post report. The university pays for the McDavises’ utility and phone expenses at the Park Place property.
When asked who would foot the bill once a new home is chosen for the McDavises, Quaranta said the university is “obligated to provide appropriate housing for President McDavis in accordance with the July 1, 2012, employment agreement.”
That agreement states the president must occupy 29 Park Place.
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