Employee misconduct will cost state taxpayers $325,000

Thursday, April 16, 1998 | 11:57 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada taxpayers have to shell out $326,358 because state employees are guilty of misconduct including sexual harassment and race discrimination, the state Board of Examiners has ruled.

The board voted unanimously Wednesday to settle seven incidents of misconduct before they went to trial and also to pay a court judgment of $105,958 in the case of racial discrimination against a University of Nevada, Reno employee.

The biggest chunk of money goes to Angel Muleshkov, who was fired by the university. He filed a lawsuit and won the judgment in federal court in Reno that racial discrimination was involved.

Julia Jaeger will receive $35,000 involving an internal body search performed by an untrained volunteer in the state Parole and Probation Division. Division officers went to the home of Jaeger, whose husband was on probation, to look for drugs. Jaeger claimed her rights were violated when her body cavities were searched. The officers involved were reprimanded and the volunteer program scrapped.

Linda Torgerson and Gayle Smith are going to receive $32,500 each on their claims that they were "inappropriately touched" by a state psychologist in Carson City from 1994 to 1996. The women also said the psychologist who no longer works for the state used vulgar and explicit sexual language.

A settlement of $49,000 is going to Laura Fletcher who was an employee of the UNLV Police Department. She said she was the victim of a hostile working environment due to frequent touching and comments by a sergeant who was later fired.

Michelle McHardy will receive $30,000 for the poor judgment of the state Youth Parole Bureau, the board said. In 1995, the 16-year-old had a history of suicide attempts and was in custody in Reno. She was given a month's supply of antidepressants and placed on a plane by herself for transfer to the Caliente Youth Training Center. She attempted suicide during the flight and sustained neurological damage. The state agency has since changed its operating procedures so youths in custody don't have medication in their possession while boarding planes.

The board approved $21,000 to go to Alejandro Romano, injured when his car was hit by another vehicle driven by a state worker who ran a red light at Maryland Parkway and Stewart Street in Las Vegas on May 2, 1995.

A $49,900 payment is going to Augustine Butticci, who was injured during a head-on collision that killed his wife at Major's Junction about 25 miles east of Ely in 1992. Butticci claimed the design of the intersection was inadequate and the engineers of the state Department of Transportation re-designed it.

The board approved paying $19,500 to Lee Larson, a UNR grounds employee who was fired in 1996 after 23 years of service. It was determined Larson's right of due process was violated when he was terminated.

The board also recommended approval of an application by the state prison for $1.2 million from an emergency fund to cover shortfalls in the budget for medical care of inmates.

Prison Director Bob Bayer said his staff is working to reduce the expenses but "this one has gotten away from us." Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, a board member, said Bayer was doing a good job and had to treat several highly expensive cases.

The prison also was recommended to receive $314,926 in emergency funds for replacing the underground heating water piping at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City. The board recommended $17,000 for the Nevada State Museum for higher utility costs and $6,000 for the Nevada State Railroad Museum, also for higher utility costs.

The requests for emergency funds must be approved by the Legislative Interim Finance Committee which meets May 5.