453 P.3d 494 (Okla.Civ.App. 2019), 117,344, Helm v. Board of County Commissioners of Rogers County
Docket Nº: | 117,344, 117,455 |
Citation: | 453 P.3d 494, 2019 OK CIV APP 67 |
Opinion Judge: | GOREE, CHIEF JUDGE |
Party Name: | Dee Ann HELM, formerly known as Dee Ann Cramer, Plaintiff/Appellant, v. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ROGERS COUNTY, Oklahoma, Defendant/Appellee. |
Attorney: | Stanley D. Monroe, Ann E. Keele, MONROE & KEELE, PC, Tulsa, Oklahoma, for Plaintiff/Appellant, Thomas A. LeBlanc, Matthew B. Free, Jessica L. Johnson, BEST & SHARP, Tulsa, Oklahoma, for Defendant/Appellee. |
Judge Panel: | JOPLIN, P.J., and BUETTNER, J., concur. |
Case Date: | October 21, 2019 |
Court: | Court of Appeals of Oklahoma, Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma |
Page 494
Mandate Issued: 11/14/2019
THIS OPINION HAS BEEN RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION BY ORDER OF THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS, Division 1
Page 495
APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF ROGERS COUNTY, OKLAHOMA; HONORABLE SHEILA A. CONDREN, JUDGE
Stanley D. Monroe, Ann E. Keele, MONROE & KEELE, PC, Tulsa, Oklahoma, for Plaintiff/Appellant,
Thomas A. LeBlanc, Matthew B. Free, Jessica L. Johnson, BEST & SHARP, Tulsa, Oklahoma, for Defendant/Appellee.
OPINION
GOREE, CHIEF JUDGE
[¶1] Dee Ann Helm (Plaintiff/Appellant) was employed by Rogers County as an administrative assistant. Rogers County terminated her employment and she filed a petition to recover unpaid wages and a penalty pursuant to 40 O.S.Supp. 2005 § 165.3 of the Protection of Labor Act. The Board of County Commissioners of Rogers County (Defendant/Appellee) filed a motion to dismiss.
[¶2] The County argued Helms claim is barred by the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act because she did not comply with its notice provisions. The trial court agreed and granted the Countys motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. 12 O.S. § 2012(B)(6). Helm appealed. She argues the dismissal was erroneous because her action is contractual and the GTCA does not apply. We review the order de novo because a motion to dismiss tests the law governing a claim. Dani v. Miller, 2016 OK 35, ¶10, 374 P.3d 779, 785-86. The legal question is whether Plaintiffs claim is a tort within the meaning of 51 O.S.Supp. 2014 § 152(14).
[¶3] "Tort" is defined by the GTCA as: A legal wrong, independent of contract, involving violation of a duty imposed by general law, statute, the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma, or otherwise, resulting in a loss to any person, association or corporation as the proximate result of an act or omission of a political subdivision or the state or an employee acting...
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