Police to probe allegations against city employee

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001 | 11:28 a.m.

Metro Police have been asked by the Las Vegas City Council to investigate allegations that a city employee intimidated and tried to extort a Peccole Little League coach.

City Councilman Larry Brown called for the investigation Wednesday after hearing what he called disturbing testimony from the coach and after reading a city document that "has a real stench on it."

What was most troubling to Brown was a city document, which appeared to be a contract, that he said looked unlike any document he had seen before as a councilman or a prior Planning Commissioner.

In the document, dated Aug. 8, coach Lloyd Schiller signed an agreement, which said that the baseball fields at Rainbow Park would not longer be available for his league and that the city had no responsibility to find a place for his baseball program.

Brown said the document was essentially "dictating what people can and can't do."

Brown, a Little League coach, said when he saw the document he knew something was wrong because of its tone and harsh language.

"This is against what we do on a day to day basis. I want to find out who decided to take this upon themselves," he said. "The reason I put this on the public record is because this is the kind of activity (that needs) to be aired in the light of day."

Brown added that the contract had never been forwarded to the city council for approval and that it was not written on standard city letterhead, like most documents.

Schiller said he had met with city representatives in June to discuss broadening the city's baseball diamond by 10 feet. Although the park is in City Councilman Michael McDonald's ward, Schiller said he had not contacted McDonald.

But 10 days before his league was scheduled to start the fall baseball season in August, Schiller said he got a call from Parks and Open Space Manager John Black who said the league's permits had been pulled and that the teams could not play. When he asked why, Schiller was told because of neighborhood complaints.

With 700 kids already signed up to play baseball, Schiller said he began "yelling and screaming to try to see what's going on."

Schiller said he finally had a meeting with Black who told him to sign the contract giving up his rights to future ball seasons starting in the spring, or else he could not play in the fall league, which started in days.

When City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald asked if he had signed the document under duress and intimidation, Schiller replied that he had.

Boggs McDonald added that because the contractual agreement was never approved by the council, it should be considered null and void.

Brown said he had worked with Black to schedule soccer and baseball games at the fields, and he couldn't image him trying to intimidate anyone. Brown said someone else was meddling behind the scenes, but he declined to say who he thought was responsible.

Schiller said he was told by Black that the instructions came from someone higher up.

"I believe it came from the councilman's office," said Schiller, gesturing to McDonald. "It was one of those 11th hour things."

McDonald said he knew nothing about the permit being pulled, and he welcomed any investigation.

Black issued a statement late Wednesday evening, which said, "I look forward to an investigation of this matter since I believe nothing inappropriate occurred. I am confident that an investigation will bear that out."

Brown asked City Manager Virginia Valentine to grant whistle-blower protection to any employee who have information on who is responsible for the contract.

Boggs McDonald said the city will not stand for any form of intimidation.

"The city does not operate in this heavy-handed way," she said. "We have to provide a safe, healthy working environment, and no one should have to come to work fearing for their job."