Director of OK Tourism at center of age discrimination lawsuits

KFOR Oklahoma's News 4

12 Jun 202302:47

Summary

TLDRTwo lawsuits have been filed against Shelley Soon, the current Oklahoma Tourism Director, alleging age discrimination. The first lawsuit was settled in April for $85,000 after the plaintiff, Jo Stains, claimed she was fired due to her age. The second case involves Claudia Conner, who was fired from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, also citing age as the reason. Conner's lawsuit is ongoing, and both cases are raising concerns about public officials dealing with similar complaints, with taxpayers potentially footing the bill.

Takeaways

🗓️ The script discusses the exact timing of a storm and the prospect of nice weather over the weekend.
👩‍⚖️ Shelley Soon, the current Oklahoma Tourism Director, is facing two lawsuits for alleged age discrimination.
📜 The first lawsuit was settled out of court in April, with the plaintiff, Jo Stains, receiving $85,000 for her claims of age discrimination.
🔍 Jo Stains was the former Communications Director for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and was fired in 2019.
📋 The second lawsuit involves Claudia Conner, who was fired from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission in November, also alleging age discrimination.
🤔 Both cases involve allegations of inappropriate behavior and ageist comments directed at older female employees by Shelley Soon.
👥 Attorney Mark Hanna represents both clients in the lawsuits against Shelley Soon.
💼 Shelley Soon has been at four different state agencies in three years, raising concerns about her conduct and management style.
🚫 Allegations include Soon asking to 'fire the old guards,' referring to employees over 50 and 60 years old.
🗣️ The attorney suggests that there may be corroborating evidence from other employees' experiences to support the claims.
🏢 The Oklahoma Tourism Department and Recreation could not comment on the specific case as it did not involve their agency.
💬 The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (HCA) disagreed with the basis of Jo Stains' claims but settled to save taxpayers' money.

Q & A

Who is Shelley Soon and what is her current position?
-Shelley Soon is the current Oklahoma Tourism Director.
What are the allegations against Shelley Soon?
-Shelley Soon is accused of age discrimination against female employees, with claims that she referred to them as 'old' and 'frumpy' and allegedly wanted to 'fire the old guards'.
How many lawsuits have been filed against Shelley Soon?
-There have been two lawsuits filed against Shelley Soon.
What was Jo Stains' position before she was fired?
-Jo Stains was the Communications Director for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.
What was the settlement amount for Jo Stains' lawsuit?
-Jo Stains' lawsuit was settled for $85,000.
Who is Claudia Conner and what is her case about?
-Claudia Conner was an employee at the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission who was fired in November, and her case is ongoing, with allegations of age discrimination and retaliation.
What was the alleged reason for Claudia Conner's firing?
-Claudia Conner claims she was fired due to her age, as she was over 60 years old, and in retaliation for reporting inappropriate behavior of a vendor.
Who is the attorney representing both Jo Stains and Claudia Conner?
-Attorney Mark Hanna represents both Jo Stains and Claudia Conner.
What is the Tourism Department's response to the allegations against Shelley Soon?
-The Tourism Department could not comment on the specifics of the case as it did not involve their agency.
What did the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (HCA) say about the allegations?
-HCA stated that they respectfully disagree with the basis of Jo Stains' claims but settled to save taxpayers' money.
How can readers find the full statement from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority?
-The full statement from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority can be read at KFOR's website.

Outlines

00:00

🏢 Age Discrimination Allegations Against State Official

The script discusses two lawsuits filed against Shelley Soon, the current Oklahoma Tourism Director, alleging age discrimination. The first lawsuit was settled out of court for $85,000 involving the plaintiff, Joe Stains, who was the former Communications Director for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and claimed she was fired due to her age. The second case involves Claudia Conner, who was fired from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, also alleging age discrimination as she was over 60 years old. The attorney for both plaintiffs, Mark Hanna, suggests that taxpayers should be concerned about the repeated complaints against public officials. The state agency involved in the first lawsuit, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (HCA), disagrees with the basis of Stains' claims but settled to save taxpayers' money. The tourism department could not comment as the case did not involve their agency.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Storm Timing

The term 'Storm Timing' refers to the precise moment or period when a storm is expected to occur. In the context of the video, it seems to be a segue from a weather report to the main news story, indicating a shift in focus from meteorological events to human-interest news.

💡Shelly Soon

Shelly Soon is the current Oklahoma Tourism Director mentioned in the script. She is a central figure in the news story due to the lawsuits against her for alleged age discrimination. The script implies that she has been involved in multiple legal cases during her tenure at different state agencies.

💡Age Discrimination

Age Discrimination is the unfair treatment of individuals based on their age, particularly in employment contexts. The script discusses two lawsuits against Shelly Soon, where the plaintiffs claim they were fired due to their age, which is a violation of anti-discrimination laws.

💡Settled Out of Court

To 'Settle Out of Court' means that parties in a legal dispute resolve their differences without going to trial, often through a negotiated agreement. The script mentions that one of the lawsuits against Shelly Soon was settled in this manner, indicating a resolution without a public trial.

💡Tourism Department

The Tourism Department is a government agency responsible for promoting travel and tourism within a region or country. Shelly Soon's role as the head of the Oklahoma Tourism Department is significant in the script as it provides the context for the lawsuits and allegations against her.

💡Attorney Mark Hanna

Attorney Mark Hanna represents the clients in the lawsuits against Shelly Soon. His role is to advocate for his clients' interests and to seek justice in the legal proceedings, as indicated by his comments on the disturbing nature of the repeated complaints against a public official.

💡Communications Director

A Communications Director is a professional responsible for managing an organization's communication strategies and public relations. In the script, the former Communications Director for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, who was fired, is one of the plaintiffs in the age discrimination lawsuits.

💡Vendor

A 'Vendor' in this context refers to an external company or individual providing goods or services to an organization. The script mentions inappropriate behavior by a vendor, which was reported by one of the plaintiffs and is part of the allegations against Shelly Soon.

💡Old Guard

The term 'Old Guard' is used metaphorically to refer to established, older members of an organization or system. In the script, it is suggested that Shelly Soon asked to 'fire the old guards,' implying a desire to remove older employees, which is part of the age discrimination claims.

💡Public Officials

Public Officials are individuals elected or appointed to serve in government positions. The script discusses the implications of repeated complaints against a public official, in this case, Shelly Soon, and the need for public employers to learn from such cases.

💡Taxpayers

Taxpayers are individuals who pay taxes to the government. The script suggests that taxpayers should be concerned about the lawsuits and settlements involving public officials like Shelly Soon, as these legal matters can involve public funds.

Highlights

Shelley Soon, the current Oklahoma Tourism Director, is facing two lawsuits alleging age discrimination.

During COVID, Soon was appointed as the State and Appointments Security Commission.

Both lawsuits claim Soon engaged in age discrimination against female employees.

One lawsuit was settled out of court, with the plaintiff, Jo Stains, receiving $85,000.

Jo Stains was the former Communications Director for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and was fired in 2019.

The second lawsuit involves Claudia Conner, who was fired from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission in November.

Conner alleges she was fired due to her age, being over 60 years old, and in retaliation for reporting inappropriate vendor behavior.

The vendor in question worked for Soon, and Conner was fired two days after reporting the behavior.

Soon allegedly referred to older female employees as 'old' and 'frumpy'.

Attorney Mark Hanna represents both clients in the lawsuits against Soon.

Hanna suggests that taxpayers should be concerned about the lawsuits involving a public official.

There is an indication that Soon may have used the term 'old guards' to describe employees over 50 and 60 years old.

Hanna believes there is good reason to corroborate Conner's story with other employees' experiences.

The Oklahoma Tourism Department could not comment on the specifics of the case.

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority disagreed with the basis of Stains' claims but settled to save taxpayers' money.

The full statement from the Oklahoma Health Care Authority is available on their website.