University system settles with woman for $98,000

Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005 | 11:12 a.m.

The Community College of Southern Nevada clerical employee whose 2003 allegations launched a nearly year-long saga in the Nevada System of Higher Education was paid $98,000 to settle a complaint she filed against the college with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Topazia "Briget" Jones cited several personnel issues in her complaint, but principally she made allegations of sexual harassment and racial discrimination, according to a copy of the settlement obtained by the Sun. She dropped her case in exchange for $28,000 in medical costs, $45,000 in pain and suffering, and $25,000 in attorney's fees.

Jones was the impetus behind the entire saga that brought down President Ron Remington and his aide, John Cummings, and embroiled the Board of Regents in nearly a year of lawsuits that cost the system more than half a million in settlements, Remington said.

Jones was fired for not showing up for work, showing up late, not doing her job duties and for taking inappropriate trips to the Legislature as the self-proclaimed special assistant to then-Assemblyman Wendell Williams, according to transcripts from the November 2003 Board of Regents meeting investigating Jones' claims. She complained to then university system Chancellor Jane Nichols, who stopped Jones' termination and launched an investigation into her allegations that Remington and Cummings, the college's lobbyist, were going behind the Board of Regents backs to secure legislation creating four-year degrees at the two-year school.

Jones also made allegations about several inappropriate hirings -- including her own. The investigation led to a 17-hour, two-day closed personnel session that ended with regents narrowly voting to remove Remington and Cummings from their positions. The regents' action was reversed by a district court judge because of open meeting law violations, and both Remington and Cummings settled their lawsuits out of court and were put in teaching jobs. Remington has since retired.

Jones herself narrowly kept her job after Regent Linda Howard moved to fire her. The investigation had revealed the Jones did not have the bachelor's degree in communications she claimed on her employment application.

The settlement was signed in September 2004 by Chancellor Jim Rogers and Jones' attorney Larry Semenza. Jones, who could not be reached for comment, is still working at the college as an administrative assistant making $29,607 a year, college officials said.

Her attorney said that as far as he knew, everything was now going well.

Remington said he was surprised by the settlement, but not by reports that Jones has filed another EOCC complaint, which several sources confirmed.

He advised current President Richard Carpenter to "have some backbone" in dealing with Jones.

Carpenter said he was aware of the settlement but could not comment about any further personnel issues.

Cummings, still teaching English at CCSN, said Jones was the "Abigail Williams of 2005,"referring to the young woman who sparked the witch hunt hysteria in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible."

"The trials are all over, the gallows have been abandoned, she's had her 15 minutes of fame extended to two years, and I hope that one day the public will cease to be her private source of funds and will assist her in getting whatever help she does need," he said. Some regents were upset they were not informed about the settlement.

"I just don't think the public's business should be done in the dark and anything having to do with public taxpayer's funds should be done in the public," Regent Howard said. "This is the day of transparency and we should adhere to that."

Rogers was on a plane and not reachable for comment.