Ex-student leader claims kidnapping in UNLV lawsuit

Lee Scrivner

Thursday, June 22, 2000 | 11:34 a.m.

An impeached UNLV student body president accuses the school's administration of crimes ranging from stalking and kidnapping to racketeering and extortion in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

Joe Mills, former president of the Consolidated Students of the University of Nevada, claims in the lawsuit that he was the victim of a wide-ranging conspiracy by UNLV's top officials.

Named in the suit are former Vice President of Student Affairs Bob Ackerman, university system Assistant General Counsel Karl Armstrong, UNLV President Carol Harter, KUNV Radio Development Director Janice Carter, News and Public Information Director Thomas Flagg, former student senate President Terry Moore, student government Business Manager James Moore, KUNV General Manager Donald Fuller, KUNV Operations Manager Brian Sanders, former student body Vice President Luis Valera and others.

"I am surprised -- I knew nothing about this," Flagg said.

Kwasi Nyamekye, assistant general counsel for the University and Community System of Nevada, said that he has not yet received the complaint and declined to comment on it.

Mills in his suit claims that on April 15, 1997, Ackerman, Fuller, Harter, Sanders and Carter diverted funds from the consolidated students group to UNLV's radio station, KUNV. When he refused to cooperate, Mills claims in the lawsuit, UNLV harassed him.

The harassment, he alleges, included an incident in which an officer in a Department of Public Safety uniform slammed him against a wall, hit him in the kidneys, threw him to the ground, jumped on his lower back and handcuffed him tightly.

Mills said he was then driven to a remote part of the campus and left in the car several hours in the heat.

Joe Mills has requested a trial by jury and plans to represent himself.