Clark County school trustee Kevin Child addresses workplace complaint
Clark County School District trustee Kevin Child said Wednesday that it’s a shame the district intends to settle a workplace harassment complaint against him, reiterating his contention that he’s never done anything “to make anyone feel uncomfortable in my life.”
In his first public comments on the matter, Child also confirmed that he and his lawyer — who was hired by the district to represent him in the case — are planning to sue the district for defamation and slander if the School Board approves the settlement, as first reported by the Review-Journal Tuesday.
“They’re the ones that started it. I didn’t,” Child said, adding he expects to pay the lawyer out of his own pocket in the lawsuit.
Child was the subject of complaints filed last year by Deputy Superintendent Kim Wooden with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing the first-term trustee of inappropriate behavior. The complaints were first revealed Friday, when the proposed settlement appeared on the agenda for the School Board’s meeting on Thursday.
Child spoke to the Review-Journal Wednesday after district Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky’s 2018 State of the Schools address. All the women who spoke during the event wore black to signal support for women subjected to harassment or abuse in the workplace.
“It’s so important that all individuals feel safe, supported and respected, not only in the learning environment but in the workplace as well,” said Greta Peay, the district’s chief instructional services officer. “You’ll see some of us are wearing black today to signify that.”
Trustees will consider the settlement and a contract amendment for Wooden at Thursday’s board meeting. Wooden is not asking for any money from the settlement, not even attorney’s fees, according to her lawyer, Anthony Golden. Sources told the Review-Journal that the amended contract would state that she no longer has to work in the office or with trustees if she doesn’t wish to.
Child said the allegations are all contrived, and are a way to get back at him for asking tough financial questions in the district.
Board President Deanna Wright, also dressed in black, declined to comment on Wooden’s case, but said she thinks it’s important for women to say “no more” to harassment.
“It’s important that we as women support other women who have been brave enough to not only put themselves out there personally but also professionally,” she said. “I personally am not going to put up with it anymore.”
Skorkowsky also addressed the issuewithout referencing Wooden’s complaint against Child.
“You have to make sure you look at it fairly and objectively, but you have to make sure you support those who are strong enough to stand up and say ‘Me too,’” he said.
Contact Meghin Delaney at 702-383-0281 or mdelaney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MeghinDelaney on Twitter.