Cummings to make $78,500 as tenured English professor

Tuesday, July 20, 2004 | 9:24 a.m.

Demoted CCSN lobbyist and political adviser John Cummings will make $78,500 a year as a tenured English professor as part of the settlement of his lawsuit against the Board of Regents.

The salary, effective July 1, is a reduction from the $115,313 he was supposed to have received this year as an administrator. Cummings was originally hired as an instructor in August 2000 for $37,641, but rose through the ranks, became an administrator and received tenure.

The Community College of Southern Nevada will also pay $25,000 in legal fees for Cummings as part of the settlement, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by the Sun. In return Cummings is dropping the suit.

Cummings called the settlement a "vindication of sorts" on Monday, having received the finalized agreement on Saturday after months of negotiations following his November 2003 demotion. The agreement allows Cummings to remain as a tenured professor and drops the termination proceedings against him.

Regents voted to demote Cummings and CCSN President Ron Remington on a split decision following a contentious 17-hour closed personnel session in November. The session focused on hiring and lobbying practices at the college. A district court judge has since voided those decisions, ruling that the Board of Regents violated the state's open-meeting law.

The agreement bars Cummings from lobbying for or against the University and Community College System of Nevada and from serving in administrative posts. It also protects him from any future responsibility in connection with the original investigation.

Regent Jill Derby, who voted for Cummings' demotion, said she was satisfied with the agreement because it relieves Cummings of his lobbying and administrative duties.

"It fulfills the board's intent," Derby said. "It's time to put the past behind us and let us focus on what's going on now."

System lawyer Tom Ray agreed, saying that the agreement was a "fair compromise made in the interest of moving forward."

Community college professors said they were similarly relieved that at least the Cummings case was over.

"It's a win-win situation for him and the college at this point," Ann Johnson, faculty senate chairwoman, said.

Her predecessor on the faculty senate, Mitzi Ware, agreed, and both said they are looking forward to an equally amicable resolution of Remington's lawsuit against the Board of Regents.

Both Remington and his lawyer refused to comment on the negotiations other than to say that things were going well.