Oklahoma DHS Accused Of Firing Employee For Voicing Concerns

Monday, May 21st 2018, 6:44 pm

By: Dana Hertneky

An Oklahoma DHS worker says the agency is placing children in unsafe foster homes. But after raising those concerns in a letter to her supervisors, she says she was fired.

Dahn Gregg has been with DHS for 13 years. She has her master’s in social work. She said on Friday she wrote the letter to her supervisors about her concerns with some foster homes, that included a specific example and specific numbers. Monday morning, she was fired.

“I would go home at night so upset that sometimes I would cry, I would worry about these kids and I just couldn’t do it anymore,” said Gregg.

And because of that, Gregg said she has become vocal about her concerns.

“We have homes where we have people with mental health issues, we have homes where people have a drug history,” she told News 9 Monday. “Anger issues, assaults and batteries…sexual perpetrators that have access to the home on a consistent basis. We have recent drug use and not just marijuana. Meth use.”

Dahn and her attorney say she's not alone. But many of her co-workers are afraid to say anything.

“This is happening with other workers who are seeing these kinds of things who are reporting about conditions and homes that are being silenced and threatened,” said her attorney Rachel Bussett.

In a statement to News 9, DHS said that's not true:

"DHS leadership welcomes and encourages employees to bring suggestions and concerns to its attention. Ms. Gregg's termination had nothing to do with her bringing concerns to her supervisors. Ms. Gregg had brought issues in the past to Child Welfare leadership and appropriate actions were taken when warranted."

But Gregg said if that had happened, she wouldn't be unemployed.

“I can’t be a part of that, I can’t say I’m okay with that because I’m not,” said Gregg. “That’s not what we’re supposed to be doing.”

Dahn said she asked why she was fired but was told they didn't have to give her a reason.

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