Municipality Properly Terminates Injured Fire Chief After Expiration of Leave

The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals ruled that a fire chief was properly terminated after one year of leave because of a back injury. Case: Mitchell v. City of Okmulgee, No. 118076, 06/16/2021, published. Facts: Richard Mitchell worked for the City of Okmulgee as its fire chief. He injured his back at work in 2013 and began receiving temporary total disability benefits in 2014. However, Mitchell continued to collect his full salary, and he assigned his TTD benefits to the city, pursuant to Oklahoma Statutes Section 49-111. Section 49-111 provides that whenever any member of the fire de...