Paradigm Construction Lawsuit: DOL Findings, Penalty, and Response

The Paradigm Construction lawsuit ended in a three-year federal contracting debarment for the Oklahoma bridge builder and its owners, Kent and Christie Glesener, after the U.S. Department of Labor found the company willfully violated prevailing wage laws on federally funded highway projects. The Department of Labor’s Administrative Review Board affirmed the ruling on January 30, 2026, upholding findings that Paradigm Construction & Engineering, Inc. falsified payroll records, misclassified skilled workers to underpay them, and obstructed federal investigators.¹

Paradigm built bridges for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation on contracts financed through the Federal Highway Administration, which put the work under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. Those laws require federal contractors to pay locally prevailing wages. Kent Glesener, a licensed civil engineer, was president; Christie Glesener handled accounting and operations.

What the Department of Labor Found

The Wage and Hour Division opened its investigation in late 2014 after the Federal Highway Administration flagged misclassification and underpayment on active contracts. When investigators arrived at Paradigm job sites in the spring of 2015, the company refused to meet with them or produce records, and Christie Glesener threatened to call the police, citing “workplace safety.” A formal charging letter followed on May 9, 2016, seeking back wages and debarment.²

After hearings, the administrative law judge issued a decision on August 28, 2023, finding four categories of violation:

Paradigm classified 17 field employees as “laborers” even though they operated forklifts, cranes, and Bidwell machines. The company said it paid based on workers’ “perceived skills” rather than the tasks they actually performed, which the ALJ called a “fundamental misapprehension of an employer’s obligation under the law.”²
The company treated worker Ronald Barnes as an independent contractor, left him off certified payrolls, and did not pay him the overtime he was owed.¹
Paradigm paid workers biweekly instead of weekly. To hide this from ODOT, Christie Glesener directed employees to use white-out on certified payroll reports to conceal check dates and payment periods.²
The company refused to produce documents, coached employees on what to tell investigators, and intimidated witnesses.²

The ALJ found the conduct amounted to “gross negligence (or willful blindness)” and constituted aggravated and willful violations of prevailing wage law. On appeal, the Administrative Review Board affirmed, concluding that the Gleseners’ actions showed “intentional disregard” of their legal obligations.¹

The Penalty

Paradigm, Kent Glesener, and Christie Glesener were debarred from federal contracting for three years. They were also ordered to pay $11,115.68 in back wages to the 17 misclassified employees and $2,942.40 in unpaid overtime to Ronald Barnes, for a total award of $14,058.08.³

Under the Davis-Bacon Act, debarment blocks a contractor and its principals from receiving any federal or federally assisted construction contracts for the length of the penalty. Federal agencies must check the debarred list before awarding work. Three years is the standard term when violations are aggravated or willful, and a shorter period applies only in extraordinary circumstances. Willful falsification of certified payroll reports is itself an independent ground for debarment.⁴

The Gleseners’ Position

As of April 2026, the Gleseners disputed the debarment publicly. In a text message to the Sapulpa Times, Christie Glesener said the company “is not debarred” and that their attorney holds the same position. The newspaper reported it had identified no public filings that reverse the Administrative Review Board’s January 2026 decision.⁵

1
U.S. Department of Labor. ARB Decision, Paradigm Construction & Engineering
2
U.S. Department of Labor. WHD Brief, Paradigm Construction & Engineering
3
U.S. Department of Labor. ARB Case List, January 2026
4
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Davis-Bacon and Labor Standards Agency and Contractor Guide
5
Sapulpa Times. City Council Candidate Disputes Claims That His Company Is Banned