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When Wagoner County Commissioners secretly suspended Sheriff Chris Elliott's wife from her job as 911 coordinator after nearly two decades, they refused to explain why. So journalists went to find answers themselves, only to discover a pattern of hostility that raises even more questions about what officials are hiding.
The Secret Meeting That Started Everything
Judy Elliott, wife of Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott, was abruptly suspended from her role as the county's 911 coordinator following an emergency meeting held without public notice. The three county commissioners voted to remove her from a position she had held for almost twenty years, but they conducted the entire proceeding in executive session, leaving the public with no explanation for their decision.
When local news asked commissioners what prompted the suspension, officials claimed they couldn't discuss it. The lack of transparency around such a critical public safety position immediately raised red flags about what county leadership was trying to conceal.
Records Request Reveals Unexpected Cooperation
The investigation began smoothly at the county clerk's office, where staff appeared surprisingly eager to help locate email communications related to Judy Elliott's suspension. When journalists requested all correspondence between 911 center staff and county commissioners about Elliott, employees seemed almost enthusiastic about fulfilling the open records request.
One staff member's reaction suggested internal tensions within county government. The willingness to provide potentially damaging communications hinted that not everyone in county leadership supported the Elliotts.
Court Clerk Explodes Over Routine Document Review
What should have been a simple records inspection at the court clerk's office erupted into chaos when journalists attempted to review recent felony case filings. Court Clerk Jim Height immediately declared that filming was prohibited in the publicly accessible area, despite clear legal precedent allowing such documentation.
Height became increasingly agitated, eventually calling for sheriff's deputies while warning journalists not to "pull anything" from the files. His threat to place reporters under citizen's arrest for requesting public documents revealed a shocking ignorance of open records law among county officials.
Deputy Schools His Own Colleagues on Constitutional Rights
In a rare display of proper law enforcement training, a responding deputy actually educated court staff about citizens' filming rights in public buildings. The officer calmly explained that journalists could legally record anything visible to their eyes in publicly accessible areas, effectively overruling the court clerk's false claims.
This moment highlighted the inconsistent understanding of constitutional rights even among government workers in the same building. While one deputy demonstrated proper knowledge of the law, other officials continued their aggressive resistance to transparency.
Sheriff's Department Slams Door on Policy Questions
The hostility reached its peak at the sheriff's department, where records staff immediately demanded identification for routine public document requests. When journalists declined to provide ID and asked to inspect the department's policy manual, workers literally slammed a window shut and demanded they leave the building.
Chief Deputy Ron Kawa arrived but also refused to allow inspection of basic policy documents that should be readily available to the public. The extreme reaction to standard transparency requests suggested the department has serious concerns about public scrutiny of their procedures.
What They're Still Hiding
Multiple government offices in Wagoner County demonstrated coordinated resistance to basic transparency, from secret suspension meetings to slammed windows. The question remains: what are Sheriff Elliott and county officials so desperate to conceal about the 911 coordinator's removal and department operations?
Watch the full confrontation to see just how far these officials went to avoid answering simple questions about public business.
