Racial remark at CCSN prompts $1.5 million suit

Jennifer Knight

Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001 | 9:20 a.m.

A state lawmaker's wife is using a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Community College of Southern Nevada in a move some say is designed to pursue a political cause that died in the Legislature this year.

Zelda Williams, wife of Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, is suing former CCSN vice president Mike Meyer and the community college for $1.5 million, citing racist remarks directed toward her.

While waiting in a lobby at CCSN in August, Zelda Williams overheard Meyer saying, "She's a nigger, and niggers are never on time," according to the suit. The suit claims that the comment triggered depression and a loss of self-esteem.

Meyer stepped down after the incident and, during an interview with the Sun in August, apologized, saying, "I said something that was wrong and I apologize for it. I used the 'N' word and I don't know why I said it."

In addition to monetary damages, the lawsuit also asks CCSN officials to add more classes to the Cheyenne campus, which is in an area that has a high concentration of black residents.

The suit claims that during Meyer's four-month stint as interim president, several programs and classes were moved from the Cheyenne campus to the West Charleston campus.

"I think frankly Mrs. Williams would love to use this unfortunate incident as a way to rectify some of the things that have happened in the African-American community that they feel was wrong," said Richard Segerblom, Williams' attorney.

"It has been mentioned to me by the black ministerial alliance that this was an issue," said Ron Remington, CCSN's president. "All the offerings are not at the Cheyenne campus, and many of them are at West Charleston. But the difference is that is where the population growth is happening."

The issue of equity among CCSN's three campuses has been championed by the black community. Assemblyman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas, planned to introduce a bill during the 2001-2003 Legislature to make Cheyenne a separate campus because of the disparity in resources. That bill died before reaching committee, but a new bill -- Assembly Bill 454 -- later passed. That bill formed a campus review committee to study campus resources and CCSN's administrative structure.

Wendell Williams said a political agenda was not the point of the lawsuit.

"The reason she filed the lawsuit is that she is hurt because of what was done to her," Wendell Williams said. "Since this has happened to her, it's been a little tough for her to focus on things she needs to do."

Williams said that this is not the first time his wife has been the target of racial slurs.

"We live in American don't we?" he said. "We all place education as a value in society. These are the places we least expect to face these types of things."

Williams is asking for $500,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

Segerblom said the state will pay a maximum of $50,000 for punitive damages, meaning that Meyer would personally have to pay anything more than that amount.

Lawyers representing the university and community college system will have 20 days to answer allegations made in the lawsuit. Tom Ray, the system's general counsel, said the case lacks key components.

"It's important on a discrimination claim there are certain elements that need to be met, and I don't think those elements are there," Ray said. "In this case, there was prompt remedial action that was taken."