OKLAHOMA CITY - A lawsuit between the city of Lawton and Julie Magness, a former city employee, cleared the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals just before the end of year.
In its seven-page ruling filed Dec. 30, 2025, the appellate court unanimously upheld a district court ruling in favor of the city of Lawton.
Magness worked for the city from 1993 until 2021. She filed her original lawsuit after her job was altered in 2017 for performance-related issues. “After a hearing, Magness was demoted from Financial Services Supervisor to a budgeting and accounting supervisor,” court documents said.
On Nov. 8, 2021, Magness submitted a letter informing the city that she planned to take “terminal leave” beginning on Dec. 13, 2021. City officials declined her request.
Following a November 2021 hearing, Magness’ employment with the city was terminated. A month later, she filed an appeal but withdrew it a day before the scheduled hearing.
In August 2023, Magness filed a wrongful termination suit against the city, saying her termination was due to her age and the city violated the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act. She also claimed she was fired because the city wanted to “avoid payments of regular and historical sick leave.”
The case wound its way through the district court and in August 2024 the trial court ruled in favor of the city.
And while Magness appealed the ruling, “raising two issues in the petition in error,” Judge Timothy J. Downing, the appellate court’s presiding judge, wrote that the court was “not persuaded by Magness’ arguments.”
Downing also wrote that Magness had “failed to exhaust her administrative remedies.”
On Magness’ second claim, Downing wrote that “the evidence attached to Magness’ response was insufficient to raise a genuine issue of material fact. Accordingly, the trial court’s grant of summary judgement was not in error.”
The Court of Civil Appeals, Downing wrote, “concludes the trial court did not err when it granted the city’s motion for a summary judgement.”