Thanks, Jim!
The policy below was unanimously adopted by the County of Oklahoma County in December 2004. On January 20, 2005, the policy was re-affirmed by the Oklahoma County Budget Board, who voted down two proposals which would have removed “gender orientation” from the policy.
Credit and thanks go to County Commissioner Jim Roth for getting this fine, inclusive non-discrimination policy passed and reaffirmed. Additionally, we are grateful to Wanda Jo Peltier, Nathaniel Batchelder, and longtime Oklahoma City civil rights leader Clara Luper, Jim Nimmo, Phillippe Beaudette, and Ellen Kazmierczak, among others, for speaking up for the policy; and to the members of the community who flooded county offices with emails and phone calls supporting the policy. And to Court Clerk Priscilla Pressley, who was quoted as saying in regard to her votes to keep the original language, “I have never had the moral clarity that I feel today”.
Here’s the new Oklahoma County policy:
The County of Oklahoma County is committed to ensuring that no employee, applicant, or independent contractor, shall be discriminated against based
on sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, veteran status, religion, color, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, age, gender orientation, use of family medical leave, political affiliation, or any other basis protected by federal or state law. This policy shall apply to all employment practices.
It is the policy of the County of Oklahoma County that equal employment opportunity is consistent with the basic principle that all persons be afforded equal access to positions in public service based on their ability to do the job. Hiring will be made on the basis of job-related criteria, and all employment decisions will be made on the basis of merit, in conformity with these principles of equal opportunity.
The County considers violation of this policy on the basis of any of these categories to constitute misconduct that undermines the integrity of the
employment relationship. Corrective action up to and including termination of employment shall be taken against individuals who violate any provision
of this policy.