The Oklahoman seeks to intervene in OPEA lawsuit aimed at stopping state from providing newspaper with information on state employees

The Oklahoman is seeking to intervene in a state employee association's lawsuit to block the state government from providing the newspaper with the birth dates and other basic personnel information on state workers.

The Oklahoma Public Employees Association requested the injunction on Monday.

A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday before Judge Noma D. Gurich. (CJ-2010-2623, Oklahoma Public Employees Association v. Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management)

In February, The Oklahoman requested basic employee information, including dates of birth, payroll records and employee identification numbers, for all state employees.

A number of local government agencies have long provided the birth dates of their employees to media outlets with no reported instances of identity thefts caused by the disclosure. Birth dates are also available in voter registration files and in many other public records.

For more background on the issue: OPEA asks judge to stop state from providing newspaper with information on state employees

Joey Senat, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

OSU School of Journalism