Governor responds to wrongful firing lawsuit from former Tulsa office director
BY Associated Press
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
OKLAHOMA CITY — A spokesman for Gov. Mary Fallin said the firing of Fallin's Tulsa office director was connected only to job performance.
Former office director Wendy Gregory claims in a lawsuit that she was wrongfully fired in last December. Gregory said Fallin Chief of Staff Denise Northrup fired her after discovering that Gregory had had her wages garnished once by the IRS.
Firing someone for having one garnishment of wages is prohibited by federal law. Gregory filed a civil petition last Thursday in Oklahoma County District Court against Fallin and Northrup seeking back pay plus actual and punitive damages of at least $20,000.
Fallin spokesman Alex Weintz said Tuesday that an internal review has found that the Tulsa office director position wasn't worth the costs and that Gregory was not performing satisfactorily.
