Clark County School Board OKs settlement, Kevin Child vows to sue
Trustee Kevin Child vowed to sue after the Clark County School Board on Thursday night narrowly approved a settlement over a harassment complaint against the district.
The board voted 4-3, with Trustees Linda Young, Chris Garvey and Child opposed, to approve a settlement and contract amendment for Kim Wooden. The Clark County School District deputy superintendent had lodged complaints with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that allege inappropriate behavior by Child.
Because Child was not a named a party in the matter — even though the complaints were directly tied to his behavior — he voted on the issue, but vowed retaliation.
“If you go forward with this, it’s politically incorrect and I will sue for slander,” he said.
Trustee Carolyn Edwards said the settlement was not politically motivated.
“This suit is against the district, not against any individual trustee,” she said. “I will not be bullied by anybody on this board to not do the right thing.”
Garvey said she could not vote for the settlement, because it was not fully investigated by either of the commissions, and Young said she thought the settlement didn’t go far enough to solve the problem for Wooden.
Board President Deanna Wright said she agreed with Young’s comments but said Wooden and her lawyer had agreed to the settlement terms.
“This is what she has asked for. For us not to support that is wrong, in my opinion,” she said.
Wooden was not at the meeting, but her attorney, Anthony Golden, said she was happy that the settlement and amended contract were approved.
“She’s looking forward to proceeding with work under the amended contract,” he said.
Carlos McDade, the district’s attorney, confirmed that the Nevada Equal Rights Commission suggested the parties work out a settlement, and he confirmed the commission did not say whether it thought the complaint was valid.
Details of the settlement first came out Friday, when the board agenda was posted. But more details, including the complaint and exact terms of the settlement, are still unclear.
Wooden is not asking for any money from the settlement — not even attorney’s fees, according to her lawyer, Anthony Golden. Sources have told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the amended contract would state she no longer has to work in the office or with trustees if she doesn’t wish to.
Child and Craig Mueller, the Republican attorney general candidate hired by the district to represent Child, have repeatedly said the allegations are contrived. They also allege the settlement is timed just as the trustee begins campaigning for a second term.
The settlement is the latest issue to surface regarding Child’s actions as a trustee. He has been banned twice from visiting schools without permission by Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky.
The second time, the ban included school campuses and other district properties. In November, Skorkowsky said “an outside government agency has received a complaint on Child’s behavior.” The superintendent did not identify the agency or say who filed the complaint at that time.
Contact Meghin Delaney at 702-383-0281 or mdelaney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MeghinDelaney on Twitter.
