CCSD spent nearly $46K on legal counsel for Durango High lawsuit

The Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday obtained nine billing statements through a public records request.

The latest statement shows that the law firm Marquis Aurbach — which represented the district — billed a total of $45,848.22 for services related to the case and rendered through Dec. 31.

Records show the district had paid the vast majority of that — $43,143.22 — as of a Jan. 4 invoice.

The school district said Tuesday that it does not comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada.

Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, said Tuesday that the district’s expenditure was “irresponsible” and trustees should have exercised better oversight.

Haseebullah questioned why the district’s in-house attorneys didn’t handle the case, noting it’s “sort of ridiculous” to hire staff attorneys and then outsource cases like this.

Under Nevada law, a government entity that improperly withholds public records is generally required to pay the requester’s costs, Haseebullah said, noting that the court would need to make a decision on that.

He said that the ACLU will seek to collect payment from the district — which will be an amount similar to what the district paid the private law firm — and that it will be interesting to see if the district tries to fight it.

Last year, cellphone video was circulating on social media that showed a Clark County School District police officer pushing a Black student to the ground.

The ACLU filed a public records request with the district, which was denied. The organization then sued in April 2023 seeking the release of body camera footage and other records related to the incident.

In December, a judge ordered the district to release body camera footage. The district turned it over on Thursday.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com. Follow @julieswootton on X.