Open records complaint probed

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, May 5, 2004 | 10:16 a.m.

The state Attorney General's office said Tuesday it is looking into whether the University and Community College System of Nevada violated the state's open records laws by refusing to release the proposed contract to make TV station owner Jim Rogers interim chancellor.

The regents are scheduled to vote Friday on Rogers' contract and have yet to discuss the replacement of the chancellor in a public meeting. Chancellor Jane Nichols is leaving the position for health reasons.

Rogers and the regents were sent copies of the proposed contract, but system attorney Tom Ray refused to release the contract, saying it was a "draft."

The Las Vegas Sun filed a complaint Tuesday with the Attorney General's office, saying under the law the document should have been made available to the public. The Sun later received a copy of the proposed contract from a member of the Board of Regents.

Ray did not return telephone messages seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.

The university system also is the subject of two unresolved complaints alleging violations of the state's open meetings laws because of closed-door meetings that led to the demotions of Community College of Southern Nevada President Ron Remington and lobbyist John Cummings. If the lawsuit is successful, the regents' decision to reassign both men to teaching positions would be voided.