Oklahoma wildlife officials release severance agreement after two-year legal fight

OKLAHOMA CITY – After more than two years of litigation and tens of thousands in legal fees, a state agency Thursday released the severance agreement for its former executive director.

The agreement between the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission and J.D. Strong showed nothing revealing, but only was released after Oklahoma Voice obtained a judgment requiring it be made public. 

It outlines the terms of Strong’s $169,341 severance payment and indicates that he was “being separated from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation” under a state law permitting reduction in force.

Strong, who officials have said resigned, agreed his employment would end at the close of business on Dec. 6, 2023, the agreement said. That was the same day that the wildlife governing board approved the severance agreement. 

The document contained a confidentiality clause that Strong’s “personnel records” would be kept private unless a court order compelled the agency, governing board or an individual commissioner to release them or they were otherwise required to do so by law. 

Oklahoma Voice immediately requested a copy of the severance agreement under the Open Records Act but was denied. Editor Janelle Stecklein sued on behalf of Oklahoma Voice in May 2024 seeking the document’s release.

On July 16, Oklahoma County District Judge Don Andrews ordered its release, finding that the severance agreement was not exempt from the Oklahoma Open Records Act, regardless of the confidentiality clause.  

“We hope this case reminds public bodies to act with careful consideration when choosing secrecy over transparency because the public has an inherent right to know about the workings of their government and taxpayers have to foot the bill when the government erroneously withholds records under the act,” said Leslie Briggs, Oklahoma local legal initiative attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which represented Oklahoma Voice.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has filed a motion to be reimbursed $60,657 in attorneys fees and $317.68 in other costs stemming from the multi-year litigation. A hearing is set on that in 2027.

Micah Holmes, a spokesperson for the wildlife department, said Thursday that their counsel at the Attorney General’s Office included a confidentiality provision in the severance agreement. 

“By not releasing this document we were simply complying with the provisions agreed upon by all parties in the agreement,” he said.

Strong, who had served as the agency head since 2016, did not respond to a request seeking comment.