Black leaders fuming over Cavagnaro decision

Las Vegas community leaders, incensed over the conclusion of UNLV's investigation of athletic director Charles Cavagnaro, met this morning in the lobby of the Flora Dungan Humanities Building to call for full disclosure of the findings.

Using words such as "bogus" and "cover-up," members of the NAACP, ACLU and local churches derided university president Dr. Carol Harter's handling of the case.

Harter issued a statement on Friday saying she found insufficient evidence Cavagnaro uttered racist and homophobic slurs while talking about Rebel athletes. But her statement also noted Cavagnaro "may have used language that others find offensive and has apologized."

Harter's statement concluded a 24-day Board of Regents inquiry into the charges. It also virtually absolved Cavagnaro without releasing the findings of general counsel Kwasi Nyamekye, who interviewed nearly 60 current and former UNLV employees and others from the community.

But local activists expressed their disappointment in the process.

"We met a few weeks ago (May 5) with Dr. Harter and coaches and staff," Assemblyman Wendell Williams said. "What happened was totally contradictory to what they told us in the first place.

"This whole thing was done with a tremendous amount of suspicion. I feel the whole community has been insulted by Dr. Harter."

Also present at the news conference were NAACP chapter president James Rogers, ACLU of Nevada executive director Gary Peck, KCEP 88.1-FM talk show host Pat Cunningham, UNLV associate head coach Ruffin McNeill and former UNLV football player Kwame Coleman and his mother, Kamaria Osayande.

"I believe the public was misled into believing there would be disclosure of what was found," Cunningham said. "We want full disclosure. There were too many unanswered questions and we need answers. It's the university's responsibility to provide them.

"There's not only a need, but a right to know."

UNLV claims it is not obligated to release details of the inquiry because it considers it a personnel matter, stating only that Harter has the authority to make the findings public.

But members of Monday's panel disagreed.

"There is this notion on the part of public officials that every time they don't want to share information that is embarrassing, they invoke that it's private personnel matter," Peck said.

"We at the ACLU certainly respect privacy issues. This is not such an instance.

"This is not just a black issue. It's also offensive to women, gays and lesbians because the (alleged) remarks were made against them, too."

Williams, who works on the State Legislature's Education Committee, claimed the Board of Regents should force a greater presence in this case.

"It appears the regents themselves are grappling for this information," Williams said. "This is a state institution governed by the elected regents. We feel we have some options."

Harter's final authority also was questioned.

"Who," Cunningham asked, "has determined which allegations are the most and least serious? Dr. Harter? The chancellor? The regents? I don't like the fact that Dr. Harter made the determination of which were the most serious of the allegations."

Added Williams: "That part, in and of itself, was offensive. The whole mindset that 'What he said was offensive to some people but not offensive to us' is irresponsible."

Although those at the news conference hinted they would rather see a new, independent investigation, they did say their primary concern is the release of the information unearthed by Nyamekye.

"Our next step hinges on exactly what the investigation disclosed," Rogers said.

Harter was out of town at the Western Athletic Conference presidents meeting in Monterey, Calif., and was unavailable for comment. Cavagnaro had not reported to his office at press time.

Cunningham claimed UNLV rushed its decision based on an article appearing in the current edition of Sports Illustrated. The story cited an anonymous source as saying he heard Cavagnaro make racially disparaging remarks about Coleman and former UNLV basketball player Eric Lee.

"When the university got wind of the Sports Illustrated story, they did some damage control," Cunningham said.

"I believe the results of the investigation were premature and very vague. There's something very wrong here."

Coleman played wide receiver for UNLV from 1994-95. The Bishop Gorman grad still studies mechanical engineering at the school.

"I'm not here to hold any grudges," Coleman said. "But since my name has been brought into this, I deserve (answers)."

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