Opinion ID: 163864
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act

Text: 25 Finally, Plaintiffs cite the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act, Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 63, § 2-101 through § 2-608, as support for their claim. The Plaintiffs make scant reference to this Act, stating only that Oklahoma laws such as 63 O.S. § 2-209(B) et seq. and 21 O.S. § 1725, the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act, for example, also represent clear Oklahoma public policy involved here. (Aplt. Br. at 6.) The first section they mention, 63 O.S. § 2-209(B), does not exist. 8 The second section they mention, 21 O.S. § 1725, was repealed in 1971 and replaced by Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 63, § 2-403. Section 2-403 criminalizes the theft of controlled dangerous substances. Presumably, Plaintiffs point to this section to show that they were reporting that their co-employee was engaged in illegal conduct. 26 These laws are simply not sufficient to establish the clear mandate of public policy necessary to state a Burk tort claim. Burk, 770 P.2d at 28. Plaintiffs point to no provision of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act that purports to establish a policy that governs their situation or encourages the type of reporting that occurred in this case. We agree with the district court that this authority is far too slender a reed upon which to base a public policy tort. McKenzie v. Renberg's, Inc., 94 F.3d 1478, 1488 (10th Cir. 1996); see Hayes, 905 P.2d at 781 (holding that the Oklahoma law criminalizing embezzlement did not state a sufficiently strong public policy to prevent an employee from being terminated after he reported to his employer that his manager was embezzling). 27 Because we find that none of the legal authority that Plaintiffs have properly presented to this Court articulates a clear mandate of public policy that would prevent their termination, we AFFIRM the district court's grant of summary judgment to Defendant. Appellee's motion to dismiss is denied.