Court: Officer missed promotion because of superior’s affair with ex-wife

By Cy Ryan

Wednesday, May 19, 2010 | 5:34 p.m.

CARSON CITY – The Nevada Supreme Court has upheld a decision that a North Las Vegas police officer was passed over for a promotion because his superior was having an affair with his ex-wife.

In a 2-1 ruling Wednesday, the court said officer Thomas Glazier Jr. should be promoted to lieutenant with back pay retroactive to July 2005.

Three other officers received promotions, even though Glazier tested number one on the promotion list, the court said in upholding the decision of District Judge Elissa Cadish.

Glazier filed a complaint with the Local Government Employee Management Relations Board when he wasn't promoted, charging discrimination. The board upheld Glazier. The city of North Las Vegas and the North Las Vegas Police Department appealed to the district court.

The Supreme Court said there was substantial evidence that Glazier was treated differently than the other officers. It said Capt. Tony Scott was Glazier’s superior and had power over his schedules and promotion “all the while having an intimate affair with Glazier’s ex-wife, Laura Glazier.”

Scott was a member of the panel that considered Glazier’s promotion. Police Chief Mark Paresi said Glazier wasn't promoted because he had been disciplined twice.

But the court said Laura was also disciplined “and that appeared to have no effect on her ability to be promoted.”

North Las Vegas also said Glazier failed to file the claim of discrimination within the required six months. He filed his complaint on Jan. 9, 2006. He maintains he became aware of the promotion of two other officers on July 9, 2006, and the third on Jan. 7, 2006.

Justices Michael Cherry and Mark Gibbons said that was within the six-month time limit. And the judges said, “We note that this case is not so much about a promotion as it is about discrimination.”

They said the management relations board acted within its authority in ordering the promotion and the back pay.

Justice Nancy Saitta dissented, saying Glazier became aware by mid-June 2005 that he would not be promoted. She said the promotion of the two officers was posted on June 23, 2005. And Glazier requested a meeting with Chief Paresi to talk about not being promoting on June 30, 2005.

Saitta said, “The timeline of events establishes, in my mind, that Glazier was aware of the occurrence that was the subject of his complaint more than six months before he filed his grievance with the EMRB in January 2006.”

She said the decision of the district court should be overturned.