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Stumble‘First lady’ writes again, blasting Rogers
Some say public feuding will hurt recruiting for president’s post, university’s reputation
NEVADA APPEAL FILE
Chancellor Jim Rogers, left, chats with UNLV President David Ashley outside a 2007 Board of Regents meeting in Carson City.
Friday, July 17, 2009 | 2 a.m.
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The unseemly public debate over the conduct of former UNLV President David Ashley’s wife flared again Thursday in a letter she has written complaining about her treatment by the former chancellor of Nevada’s higher education system.
The five-page letter by Bonnie Ashley mixes details from the personal and professional contacts between the Ashleys and former Chancellor Jim Rogers. Its claims are at times surprising, petty and disturbing.
More broadly — and perhaps more important — it is another example of the coarse nature of public discourse surrounding Nevada’s university system.
Education experts told the Sun this week that Nevada’s system has a reputation nationally for being politically charged, rough around the edges and for trivializing college presidents.
The Ashley evaluation hearing has become a topic in higher education circles across the country. Experts said it will hurt the state’s efforts to find top candidates willing to replace Ashley, who was demoted by university regents last week after a lengthy public debate over his performance, including complaints about his wife’s conduct as a representative of the university.
“This does no good for UNLV to play this out in the media,” Regent Cedric Crear said Thursday. “The university has been hurt and there’s a level of healing that needs to take place. We need to move forward. We don’t have time to move backwards.”
David Ashley hand-delivered his wife’s letter to Sun columnist Jon Ralston on Thursday before an interview for Ralston’s cable show, “Face to Face With Jon Ralston.” In the letter, Bonnie Ashley said she wanted to tell her side of the story. (Ralston quickly posted the letter on the Sun’s Web site.)
Ashley said she didn’t speak out publicly before in order to “protect the university from the drama.”
In her rambling letter of defense, Bonnie Ashley said her relationship with Rogers started out positively and that the two worked closely this spring to redefine her role as the first lady of UNLV. But she claims he made an abrupt about-face in late May, attacking her in the news media and opening old wounds between her and university staff.
Rogers could not be reached for comment Thursday. The Las Vegas Sun left two messages at his home.
University employees and Rogers himself have complained that Bonnie Ashley was rude and imperious in her relations with UNLV staff members. Rogers had said publicly that her behavior called David Ashley’s judgment into question.
Bonnie Ashley’s presence was requested at her husband’s evaluation hearing last week, but she refused to sign a waiver allowing the board to discuss her conduct and evaded process servers attempting to serve her with formal notice.
In the letter, she says the system waited until the very last minute to try to notify her and that she did not wish to be the topic of discussion in a forum in which she could not defend herself.
“It was clearly set up as a lose-lose situation for David and me,” she wrote.
She said in the letter that the offensive e-mails were “old news” and that she had made amends with most of the staff members with whom she had clashed months before the communications became a topic of public discourse. She said one unnamed employee with whom she worked in the Office of Advancement was responsible for stirring up all the controversy and that Vice President for Advancement Bill Boldt had also seen problems with this employee and told her the person deserved to be fired.
She said some university employees harassed her and regularly treated her and David Ashley disrespectfully. The behavior of regents and the former chancellor surrounding the evaluation was a continuation of the poor treatment the couple has endured in Nevada, she said.
She alleged that Rogers once likened her to Hitler in a phone conversation, butted into the couple’s marital affairs and eventually told them the only way David Ashley could save his job was to file for divorce. She claimed that in a three-way call Rogers repeatedly questioned the couple about whether they had a prenuptial agreement.
When David refused to abandon his wife, Bonnie Ashley said, Rogers began to threaten to ruin both of them publicly if David didn’t resign.
“Jim (Rogers) didn’t care about who he hurt, or about the university now,” she wrote. “It was clear that once again he only cared about Jim winning a game.”
In David Ashley’s interview with Ralston, the ousted president said his wife is not the monster Rogers and others have painted her as in the press. He called her generous and gracious.
David Ashley said Rogers’ dispute with his wife was the driving factor in his dismissal. He called Rogers very powerful and accused him of intimidating the regents.
Crear said it’s too late for the Ashleys to defend their conduct. He said it would be better for everyone involved if they all quieted down and moved on.
“It’s irrelevant,” Crear said. “It’s not going to change the outcome. Our board has made the decision. There’s no need to keep harping on something already decided on.”
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Mr. Ralston
Does anyone in Nevada realize how dysfunctional Nevada appears to the rest of the nation?
I keep thinking there has to more to this story than the pettiness of the Board of Regents. Apparently not.
As a UNLV alum that graduated more than 2 decades ago, I still would like to know when this university will really focus on becoming known for its academic excellence? It is still viewed nationally as a 4-year junior college, and locally resembles a Junior League pasttime. That's pathetic and crack pots like Jim Rogers do nothing to contribute to its evolution or advancement!!!
I think Bonnie is determined to ruin her husband's career. Maybe she really just wants him to retire.
Bonnie and Rodgers both sound nuts - the only sane one was David Ashley but he didn't wanna get in between them. I'm glad they are both out and some new blood will be brought in. Hopefully they both let it drop after airing their grievances now and just let the university move on.
Now Las Vegas High School (UNLV) can continue its reputation as a third rate university.
As many have said before and these posts agree with UNLV is not a player in higher education let alone a major player. Bonnie Ashley is a nut job and David needs to quit letting the little head think for the big head. Las vegas High a great description of the joke on Maryland Parkway.
The Keystone Regents need to take this in as a learning experience although they need to first to start to use their brains again. Rogers is their master and will continue to be so. He is like a Putin in the higher ed system.
They need to ask these questions in the next interviews for UNLV prez:
1) When Rogers demands that you divorce your wife, will you immediately divorce your wife?
2) When Rogers emails you one million times on the exact same subject, will you immediately reply to each email with a equally boring response?
3) When Rogers yells and screams at you or your staff, will you call him and tell him that he is doing an excellent job?
4) When a regent communicates with you, will you then immediately report to Rogers all the details on that communication?
5) Do you know that the Regents work for Rogers and not the other way around?
6) When Rogers ask you to jump, will you immediately write him an email explaining in detail why you did not exceed the height that you achieved?
7) When you ask Rogers permission to promote UNLV in Carson City and he gives it you and then he acts dumb that he did not give you permission, will you accept the blame?
I am sure that I left some important questions out.
The Keystone Regents have been mailing it in so long that I have doubts that they have the ability to think for themselves.
OK, I just read the entire Bonnie letter. It should be required reading for anyone so foolish to consider the position of UNLV President. The three-atar general from West Point who pulled himself out of consideration obviously knew what he was doing.
The former "First Lady" dodged a process server and declined to go to a Board of Regents meeting where she could have been asked to explain her behavior. She appears to only be interested in "one way" communication, her own view only.
I'm sure her continued diva attitude and public whining will help her husband find another president position with the "proper respect," perks, and deference due her as a "First Lady." Perhaps with her own college-paid personal staff or even ladies-in-waiting to attend her.
Perhaps she should stop "helping" him and get her own career.
From what Ivy League institution did the First Lady graduate??? What are HER credentials???
Looks like Bonnie has been trying to live above herself for quite awhile.
Shut this woman up and let's move on for the good of the University.
This story has to continue playing out in the media. I don't think we're anywhere near the bottom of it, and unless the air is completely cleared, UNLV will not recover. At this point, everyone looks bad - Jim Rogers, the Regents, Bonnie Ashley. David Ashley just looks clueless, probably the reason he was not an effective President.
A poster called Me said "A little context would help with this story. Ashley was married to one lady when he interviewed for the job. She accompanied him on his interviews, etc. That lady never moved to Las Vegas and there was a mystery about Ashley's marital status. A couple of weeks after moving here, Ashley met Bonnie in line at a coffee place. Having known her for all of a cup of coffee, he married her. He then allowed this virtual stranger to run amok on UNLV's campus. He has shown a lack of judgment in his personal life that caused damage to one of our community's most valuable resources."
The content, grammar, and writing style of the woman's letter show she is a complete wacko. The fact that Dr. Ashley would not control his wife, and would subject UN's Trustees, Chancellor and UNLV staff and faculty to this parasite illustrates why Dr. Ashley deserved to lose his Presidency of the University. My question is whether UNLV's employees and faculty can get a restraining order to keep this "faculty wife" off the campus? Heaven knows what this angry, unbalanced woman will do next.
It looks like Jim Rogers and the Trustees need a restraining order to protect themselves from this woman, too.
The fact that Dr. Ashley made his wife's wacko letter public, by giving it to John Ralston, shows that Dr. Ashley completely lacks common sense and dispassionate judgment about his wife's behavior. In light of the content of the letter, his witless decision to make it public, and the fact that he refused to resign (with much severance pay) and instead wants to "fight for his job" shows me that to protect the students, faculty and staff, UN should get an injunction to keep him off the campus too.
Cynical, you couldn't be more correct. Her letter -- or rather, how badly her letter was written -- proves that she didn't write the first letter to the Regents, he did. This time, she didn't let him proofread it...but by his hand delivery of it to Jon, he shows how completely subservient to her he is. She pulls the strings, she makes the rules, she calls the shots and she cost him his job. And rest assured, this isn't over yet.
The employee that she says was so cutting and condescending is the real hero in the story. She's the one that stood up to Crazy. She's the one who told him that Crazy's behavior was unacceptable - to her, to his staff, to the campus, to the Regents and the community. She's the one that risked her career. Fortunately, she's also a damned fine attorney and knew exactly what to say and how to say it so that instead of being shushed by the Regents and the Chancellor, they listened. And they acted.
And eventually, this will end.
Now will someone please kick a really big hole in the Panama Canal, so he can go away and fix it -- and hopefully take Crazy with him!
I agree with "idiot." Thank goodness somebody finally stood up to this crazy woman and dysfunctional President. I understand what employees would be hesitant to say or do anything...its your boss's wife....but somebody stood the course, did the right thing and just said no to this uneducated and crazy woman.
Just imagine were Jim Rogers to become Nevada Governor. LOL!
"Ashley was married to one lady when he interviewed for the job. She accompanied him on his interviews, etc. That lady never moved to Las Vegas and there was a mystery about Ashley's marital status."
If this is true (I have doubts) then it is more proof that Rogers and Keystone Regents have no clue.
I have no problem with this continuing to play out in the media - the damage is already done. What offends me, however, are comments like this:
"This does no good for UNLV to play this out in the media," Regent Cedric Crear said Thursday.
Um, you're right; however, why didn't you express this same concern when wacko Rogers (who I used to respect before he dedicated the last month of his job to orchestrating Ashley's ouster) was running amok in the media? Now, all of the sudden, you are concerned about UNLV's reputation?
Sgt Rock -- I know you think you know ALL about this and that the Regents are truly clueless...but the truth is a very nebulous, amorphous thing for Ashley and his "bride(s)". Even though the Ashley's (that's David & Bonnie) have been married twice, the speculation is that he didn't understand that his divorce from his first wife, Anna, was in fact, not finalized, when he married Bonnie. This means he's the clueless one -- either that or a bigamist. The Regents didn't understand why Anna never came to campus -- everyone kept waiting, including his staff, for her arrival. Ashley never revealed that his marriage had ended; he only directed staff to cease all efforts at making plans to introduce Anna to others in the community so she could assimilate into it as quickly as possibly, and hopefully make some friends.
Then he showed up at the first football game (less than a month after arriving in town) -- with Bonnie in tow. More Regents pulled their feet out of their mouths at that game than ever before or after -- since all said, as would be expected, "Hello Mrs. Ashley!" "Welcome to Las Vegas, Mrs. Ashley!" It was a trainwreck and a pr nightmare that was never forgotten or forgiven. But he created the problem, willingly. His social retardation has been an ongoing challenge for staff -- only compounded by her inappropriate behavior.
The footnote to this tale is that the first Mrs Ashley just took half his income, and now the 2nd Mrs. Ashley has cost him his job.
These people all deserve each other but the students deserve better. What a bunch of pretentious pseudointellectual nitwits. All of 'em.
"The Regents didn't understand why Anna never came to campus -- everyone kept waiting, including his staff, for her arrival"
Yes...of course...the clueless Rogers and the Keystone Regents did a excellent job at screening their candidates and doing due diligence like a background check.
Hmmm...you think they would have asked him where Anna was. Nope....it is much better to strip him and this other lady bare in public much later and make the Nevada Higher Ed look silly before the USA. Yep.....excellence...superior leadership...Lord Rogers and his Keystone Regents.
This guy was Rogers personally pick and he punched, kicked and railroaded the other Prez out of office.
The Keystone Regents were just monkeys following the guy with music machine.
Remember back in the day when Christmastime rolled around and the lady of the house would insert a detailed compilation of the year's events -- good and bad -- along with the card? "Well, sad to say Bill and Jan have split up..." and "Jerry moved to Duluth. COLD there! Brrrr." Thankfully that was one holiday tradition that faded into the yule mists as people came to realize it was really more about the sender than the receiver.
Bonnie Ashley appears to be hell-bent on resurrecting it. "...So I called the restaurant to be sure they would have Jim's favorite dish..." and this gem "...And out of the blue I got a call from the Las Vegas Sun."
Sweet sweatin' Jesus, Bonnie! If you can't tell me what the hell happened in less than a dozen single-spaced pages then I really don't wanna know.
Rogers and his personal power trip is no longer needed in Nevada. He needs to get over himself for the sake of establishing a real university system that will allow my UNLV degree to eventually have some respect on a national basis.
Where in the hell are the real leaders in Nevada????? We are at the bottom of the septic tank in health care, education and at the top of the dipstick in crime, unemployment and foreclosures!!!! Where in the hell are the real leaders in Nevada?????
Dear Homer and MikeNYC,
Just curious...have either of you EVER taken even ONE class at UNLV? Do you know of what you speak?
Do you find it odd the Regent Cedric Crear - the only African-American on the board - was the only regent quoted on this article? How can this be? Unless, he was the person who engineered the removal of Ashley, and I doubt it. This is not unusual with corporations who will designate a minority or female to be a spokesperson to defend the organization when a socially unacceptable action has been taken. If you doubt me, watch out when next time such things occur.
She should go introduce herself to Sen Ensign. They have a lot in common: Arrogance, lack of humility and a too high idea of self-worth.
jsayler@twitter.com