Oklahoma State Department of Education faces another lawsuit over firing

A former Oklahoma State Department of Education employee has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and the state Education Department.

In Oklahoma County District Court, Janessa Bointy accuses the department and Walters of firing her for speaking about the importance of mental health resources at a March 6 meeting of the Edmond school board.

Since 2020, Bointy worked as a school counselor specialist facilitating the mental health-focused federal grant program Project AWARE East.

After learning of a student's suicide, she said she felt compelled to speak at the Edmond school board meeting. Her children attend that school district.

For two minutes, Bointy encouraged the district to boost its mental health programs and suggested administrators apply for a federal grant for related trainings. She said she would have given the same advice to every school district, if she could.

Three days later, the Education Department fired her.

Her termination letter, which The Oklahoman reviewed, states Bointy violated the agency's media policy and her confidentiality agreement by speaking at the board meeting. The letter also cited a year-old complaint that she had conducted personal business during work hours.

Bointy said she didn't share any confidential information in her remarks, and she didn't speak with media at the meeting, though a local TV station aired some of her comments to the school board.

In late May when she announced her intention to sue, Bounty told reporters:

"I knew that what happened to me wasn't right. I feel I've done nothing wrong. I was a concerned parent, and I spoke up to share information and resources to my children's school district."

Two other recently fired employees have filed lawsuits in Oklahoma City federal court against Walters and his chief policy adviser, Matt Langston.

Both plaintiffs, Cheryl McGee and Matt Colwell, said the agency violated their free speech rights by punishing them for sharing internal communications outside the department.

The Oklahoman has reported on previous employee exits at the Education Department since Walters' administration took over in January, including allegations of a toxic work environment and failure to pursue competitive federal grants.

In a previous statement, agency spokesperson Justin Holcomb said Bointy is "yet another example of a baseless claim."

"Contrary to public servants, these individuals are political activists who have no business being funded by Oklahoma taxpayers," Holcomb said in a statement. "The people of Oklahoma overwhelmingly voted for Ryan Walters during the course of three separate elections last year — as such, this administration will not tolerate pre-existing bureaucrats who are not 100% committed to empowering parents, ending leftist indoctrination, and making Oklahoma’s public education the best in the nation."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State Department of Education sued for alleged wrongful termination