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Oklahoma high court upholds firing of worker who declined reassignment - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2026 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Oklahoma high court upholds firing of worker who declined reassignment by Louise Esola Claims Disputes , Workers Comp Coverage , Workplace Safety Oct 14, 2026 The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the termination of a power plant worker who could no longer perform his duties because of medical restrictions and did not accept a lower-paying position that accommodated them. Michael J. Turner, a maintenance technician employed by the Grand River Dam Authority since 2007, suffered a heart attack and underwent coronary bypass surgery in May 2018. His doctor restricted his exposure to coal dust, ash and other airborne particles, preventing him from performing his usual duties at a coal-fired plant, according to Turner v. Oklahoma Grand River Dam Authority . The authority assigned Mr. Turner to temporary duties at its Pensacola Dam facility for two years while maintaining his $32.79 hourly pay. His restrictions later became permanent, and he was placed on administrative leave in August 2020. Mr. Turner filed a workers compensation claim and was awarded eight weeks of temporary total disability benefits. The state Supreme Court ruling did not identify the injury or condition underlying the claim or explain its connection to his employment. He also exhausted his personal and shared leave. In January 2022, the authority offered him a permanent position at Pensacola Dam with starting pay of $29 an hour. The position met his medical restrictions, but Mr. Turner did not respond to the offer or ask whether the pay was negotiable. The authority terminated him in March 2022. The Civil Service Division of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services upheld the termination. A Mayes County district court reversed, finding no reasonable basis for the dismissal and concluding that the procedures governing his employment challenge violated due process. The Supreme Court reversed, finding that Mr. Turner failed to prove the authority lacked any reasonable basis to terminate him. His inability to perform his former duties and failure to accept a suitable alternative position supported the agency’s decision, the court said. The justices also rejected Mr. Turner’s due process challenge, finding that the state law allowing employees to contest their dismissal, the state’s Civil Service and Human Capital Modernization Act, did not create a constitutionally protected right to keep their jobs. They found the district court improperly reweighed the evidence rather than reviewing whether the agency’s decision had sufficient support in the record. 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