The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs has been ordered to reinstate seven employees who were fired from the Norman Veterans Center for accepting money left to them in a resident's will.
The Norman Transcript first reported that Judge Annita. M Bridges ordered the employees' reinstatement with back pay after an Oklahoman Merit Protection Commission hearing.
The judge cited in her Feb.5 ruling that the employees had received approval from their supervisor before they accepted money that veteran Bill Mack Marshall willed to them in August 2010. Mack was a Korean War veteran who had lived at the Norman state-run nursing home for veterans.
Each of the seven employees had worked for the center for more than a decade. The amount of the bequests they received ranged from $1,000 to $6,000.
---------------------------------------------------
KGOU is a community-supported news organization and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online, or by contacting our Membership department.
