Former OMMA employees claim discrimination led to firing
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) is facing strong allegations from former employees after they were let go in July.
During a reduction in force that occurred last month, nearly 10% of the staff found themselves out of a job. OMMA said it was a decision based on workload and finances.
However, we spoke with multiple former employees and they say they believe they were fired because of the color of their skin.
A department that employs around 80 people — seven of the employees lost their jobs, all seven of those workers are Black.
They believe that played a big part in why they were fired.
"Only Black Americans were terminated from our department," Cliff Johnson, former OMMA employee said. "There was no white Americans terminated, even though they represented the majority of the department and we represented the minority."
Seven employees in the compliance department within OMMA found themselves off the job.
They say there was no clear reason why they were let go.
"I asked the human resources director, I said, 'can you tell me what was the criteria that was used to determine who would be laid off?'" Afia Wright, a former OMMA employee asked. "He looked me in my face, he said, 'I don't know anything, I was just told that I had to come in here and do this.'"
News 4 spoke with five of the employees, two willing to go on camera, all telling similar experiences of racism and discrimination taking place throughout their tenure at OMMA.
They believe that's the driving force behind the decision.
"I was personally a victim of the discrimination in my department by my manager," Johnson said. "I brought it to the attention of his manager, our deputy director, and even our chief operating officer of the agency. They never asked me anything, they never investigated anything."
They say a constant change in directors only made the situation worse.
"This director, it really started the real catalyst of everything," Wright said. "When she came in, she automatically started separating the minorities from the non-white minorities."
They say every time they went to complain to those in positions of authority, nothing would get done.
"It's turning a blind eye to certain people," Wright said. "Do you understand what I'm saying? So, when it's about certain people, it's not about what the situation is. It was about what the person looked like, in my experience."
News 4 reached out to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority with these claims. They sent us this statement in response.
OMMA is here to serve Oklahomans by promoting public health and safety through regulation and enforcement of responsible medical cannabis practices by patients and commercial licensees.
Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority Representative
We enhance our ability to meet our mission of a safe, well-regulated market by utilizing taxpayer dollars in an efficient and intentional manner.
Employment decisions at OMMA have never and will never be based on race.
However, these employees don't believe that.
"What my ultimate goal is, is for everybody to know the truth, the real truth behind the actions that they took," Wright said.
"We just want them to be held accountable for what they should do, which was treat us right as employees," Johnson said.
Most of the group, of the seven who lost their jobs, have obtained attorneys and are building a case against OMMA.
They have also reached out to Attorney General Gentner Drummond's Office and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.