Regents accused of open-meetings law violation again

The Nevada attorney general's office has accused the Board of Regents of violating the open- meetings law again for refusing to provide a copy of a proposed employment contract with Jim Rogers as interim chancellor.

In a ruling released Monday, Deputy Attorney General Neil Rombardo noted the regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada have a "history of repeated violations of the open meeting law."

He said that unless they agree to a settlement deal that forces them to admit they broke the law, he will file a lawsuit against the board.

The Las Vegas Sun submitted the complaint to the attorney general's office after system lawyer Tom Ray refused to release the contract. The posted agenda for the May 7 meeting of the regents listed approval of the contract between the board and Rogers.

Rombardo said an attorney for the regents sent a draft copy of the employment agreement to the board on or about April 30. The Sun requested the draft agreement on May 3, and Ray denied the request. A member of the Board of Regents later released the contract.

Ray told the attorney general's office that the employment agreement was not sent to the board as support material for the agenda item but instead was meant to inform members he had started the negotiation process in hopes of having a contract for the board to consider at the meeting.

The law "clearly states that upon any request, agenda support materials for a meeting must be provided to members of the public," Rombardo said, adding the potential contract should have been provided to the Sun.

Board of Regents Chairman Stavros Anthony, Vice Chairwoman Jill Derby and Rogers declined to comment until they could review the attorney general's opinion and discuss it with the system's lawyers.

Earlier this summer, Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass ruled the board violated the state's open-meetings law in their handling of demotions involving Ron Remington, former president of the Community College of Southern Nevada, and John Cummings, the school's former lobbyist.

Glass voided those disciplinary actions but did not say whether the men were reinstated. System lawyers have filed a notice of appeal to take the Glass decision to the Nevada Supreme Court.