Assembly votes to open probes of state workers

Thursday, March 18, 1999 | 2:34 a.m.

Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, said his AB213 was spawned partly because of the refusal of University of Nevada, Las Vegas President Carol Harter to make public an investigation into controversial comments made by Athletics Director Charles Cavagnaro.

"The incident at UNLV is a perfect example of what can happen (without such a law)," Williams said Wednesday. "Cavagnaro allegedly made negative remarks about women softball players and football and basketball players. The university president said she reprimanded him, but she withheld information."

After the investigation, Cavagnaro said he was sorry if he inadvertently used offensive language and racial slurs in referring to blacks and women.

Las Vegas Democratic Assemblywoman Ellen Koivisto, who works at UNLV, supported the bill.

But two University of Nevada, Reno employees, David Humke, R-Reno, and Jan Evans, D-Sparks, voted against the bill.

Williams said the victory margin would have been more substantial if not for intensive lobbying by some Democrats against the bill in the last 24 hours.

He added some Assembly members were upset because investigations into unfounded sexual harassment complaints would become public under the bill.

In the future, Williams said he hoped reports on investigations of teachers and other public employees also could be made public.

"I have been in the public arena for 20 years," he said. "Everything cannot be secret."

The bill now goes to the Senate, and Williams said he's confident of approval there, particularly because he figures the release of public documents falls within the philosophy of Republicans. Republicans hold a 12-9 Senate advantage.