More OKSDE Lawsuits
More Oklahoma State Department of Education employees are taking legal action over employment issues. Now, three former employees are taking their cases to court.
Cheryl McGee served as the executive director of school based mental health, and Matt Colwell served as the executive director of school success. Both filed lawsuits claiming they were wrongly fired for sharing information from the agency.
The department sent out an email Thursday threatening employees with termination if they were found to have leaked information. A state official later posted on social media different versions of the email were sent to employees to track who leaked them.
Another employee, Janessa Bointy, served as a school counselor specialist for about two and a half years. According to the filing, Bointy spoke about adolescent mental health during the public comment section of an Edmond Public Schools School Board meeting, which took place in the wake of a student suicide. Bointy has four children enrolled at Edmond. She was fired for allegedly breaching the agency’s confidentiality agreement and violating its media policy.
A spokesperson for State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ office provided a statement, “Contrary to public servants, these individuals are political activists who have no business being funded by Oklahoma taxpayers.”
Supreme Court Ruling On Wetlands
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Environmental Protection Agency cannot enforce certain federal regulations on wetlands that aren’t physically connected to lakes and rivers.
The Sacketts are an Idaho couple who bought a piece of land and started hauling in dirt to build a house. Because their property contained wetlands that feed into a nearby lake, the EPA said they were violating the federal Clean Water Act.
The Sacketts sued, saying their wetlands shouldn’t fall under the act.
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with them last week, overturning an earlier circuit court ruling and affirming that the Clean Water Act only protects wetlands with a physical surface connection to lakes and rivers.
EPA administrator Michael Regan says the court’s decision QUOTE “erodes longstanding clean water protections.”
But Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond says giving the federal government too much power over wetlands would undermine conservation efforts.
State Ag Secretary Blayne Arthur praised the court for lifting what she says are unnecessary regulations.
New Mental Health Options Coming To Norman
A new mental health center is being built in Norman.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday to expand the Behavioral Health Center.
Hospital officials say the center’s construction is a part of a collaboration between Norman Regional Health System and Oceans Healthcare.
The new state-of-the-art facility will be able to accommodate more people.
In addition, there will be an outpatient counseling program, and a dedicated unit for seniors.
The new health center is expected to open early next year.
Tribal Nations Holding Elections
It's election season for several tribal nations in Oklahoma.
Several tribes will hold elections for key positions including tribal leaders and district council seats.
The Cherokee, Sac & Fox Nations and Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma have elections this weekend.
In the last 50 years, tribal nations have developed their own constitutions and governments after enduring decades of federal policies meant to terminate or reduce their sovereignty.
Warren Queton is the district seven legislator for the Kiowa Tribe and an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma's Native American Studies Department.
“I think tribal citizens want real transparency. Call it radical transparency. They want people that are not afraid to fail, to people that have personal courage to kind of come out there and make change happen,” Queton said.
Cherokee Nation will hold elections for Principal Chief, Deputy Principal Chief and several tribal council seats this weekend.
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