Director of OK Tourism at center of age discrimination lawsuits
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
🏢 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
💡Shelly Soon
💡Age Discrimination
💡Settled Out of Court
💡Tourism Department
💡Attorney Mark Hanna
💡Communications Director
💡Vendor
💡Old Guard
💡Public Officials
💡Taxpayers
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.
Transcripts
ON THE EXACT STORM TIMING AND
A LOOK AT WHEN YOU HAVE SOME
NICE WEATHER THIS WEEKEND
COMING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU,
NAME PROBABLY SOUNDS FAMILIAR.
SHE LAY THE STATE AND
APPOINTMENTS SECURITY
COMMISSION DURING COVID AND
SHE NOW RUNS THE TOURISM
ONE SETTLED OUT OF COURT BOTH
CLAIMING SHE ENGAGED IN AGE
DISCRIMINATION. NEWS FOUR'S
DYLAN BROWN JOINS US NOW WITH
DETAILS. DO
JOLEEN ONE OF THESE COMING
IS SHELLY, WALT WOULD CALL
FEMALE EMPLOYEES OLD AND
FRUMPY. THAT'S IN ONE OF THEM
IT EVEN SAYS YES TO FIRE THE
QUOTE, OLD GUARDS. SHE'S BEEN
AT 4 DIFFERENT STATE AGENCIES
NOW IN 3 YEARS, THE ATTORNEY
FOR BOTH OF THOSE INVOLVED IN
THOSE SUITS SAYS YOU THE
TAXPAYERS SHOULD BE CONCERNED.
I THINK IT DISTURBING ANY
TIME A PUBLIC OFFICIAL HAS TO
DEAL WITH THE SAME KINDS OF
COMPLAINTS.
2 LAWSUITS AGAINST CURRENT
OKLAHOMA TOURISM DIRECTOR
SHELLEY SOON WANT THAT
OFFICIAL OUGHT TO EXAMINE
THEY'RE DOING AND SEE IF
THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
ATTORNEY MARK HANNA REPRESENTS
BOTH CLIENTS. ONE SETTLED IN
APRIL. THE PLAINTIVE JOE
STAINS BE FORMER
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR
OKLAHOMA HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY
STAINED BE FIRED IN 2019
CLAIMING IT WAS DUE TO AGE
RECORDS, SHOW HER BOSS OF THE
TIME. ZU MARKED. WE HER CASE
FOR $85,000. THE OTHER AN
ONGOING CASE, CLAUDIA CONNER
WERE TO THE OKLAHOMA
EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMISSION
FIRED LAST NOVEMBER. HER BOSS
AT THE TIME, ZOOM WANT CONNOR
CLAIMING SHE WAS FIRED DUE TO
AGE WAS OVER 60 YEARS OLD.
JINDER AND IN RETALIATION. IT
STATES CONNOR REPORTED
INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR OF A
VENDOR. THE VENDOR WORKED FOR
ZOOM WALTZ HAS CONNOR FIRED 2
DAYS AFTER THAT REPORT WAS
MADE IT MALL ASKED HER AT ONE
POINT TO QUOTE, FIRE THE OLD
GUARD'S 2 EMPLOYEES, ONE OVER
50, THE OTHER OVER 60 YEARS
OLD. SHE REVERT TO OLDER
FEMALE EMPLOYEES AS QUOTE,
DOWNY AND FRUMPY AND IN SAYS
THERE'S EVEN MORE. WE HAVE
GOOD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT
WE'RE GOING TO. BE ABLE TO
CORROBORATE HER STORY WITH
OTHER.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES FROM
OTHER EMPLOYEES. HEYMAN SAYS
HOPE PARTICULARLY PUBLIC
EMPLOYERS WOULD LEARN FROM
THOSE CASES. OF COURSE, WE
REACHED OUT TO TUMULT CURRENT
EMPLOYER, A COMA, TOURISM
DEPARTMENT RECREATION. THEY
TOLD.
THEY COULDN'T COMMENT
BECAUSE IT DIDN'T INVOLVE
THEIR SPECIFIC AGENCY. HCA,
THOUGH, DID SAY THEY
RESPECTIVELY DIS AGREE WITH
THE BASES OF MISS STAINS.
CLAIMS BUT SETTLED TO SAVE
TAXPAYERS MONEY. YOU CAN READ
THEIR FULL STATEMENT RIGHT NOW
AT K FOR DOT COM. THANK YOU.
DILLON. ALSO UPDATING BREAKING
NEWS. YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD BY
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