Tarkanian to testify in ethics case

Clark County School District Trustee Lois Tarkanian is scheduled to be the first witness today in a trial over a lawsuit alleging she used her elected position to muscle hirings, promotions and transfers for cronies and manipulate other district business.

Tarkanian's attorney, Lynn Hansen, called the courthouse confrontation a politically motivated "vendetta, pure and simple."

The Clark County Association of School Administrators and four members filed the lawsuit two years ago alleging Tarkanian violated ethics and open meeting laws and manipulated day-to-day operations when her job was only to make policy.

The association had tried to get a ruling Monday from District Judge Mark Gibbons that would give it a legal leg-up when the trial began, but the judge ruled that the issues should be considered at the trial.

Association attorney Marty Kravitz had asked for a declaration that trustees be prohibited from stepping outside their policy-making role or violating specific ethics rules by delving into personnel decisions and other matters that are the purview of Superintendent Brian Cram.

Hansen argued that if such a ruling were limited to Tarkanian, she would be restricted in her job performance more than the six other trustees. And if it included all trustees such a ruling would be illegal because the other trustees are not a part of the lawsuit.

Kravitz also argued Monday that Tarkanian unilaterally influenced how district funds were to be spent and forced Cram to promote Ken Bedrosian to principal of Cimarron-Memorial High School.

Although Kravitz admitted Bedrosian was qualified to be principal, he wasn't Cram's choice for the job and was given the nod only because Tarkanian intervened.

Nevada law gives the trustees authority over one job, that of superintendent.

In pushing Bedrosian, Tarkanian mentioned that it was "about time we had an Armenian principal," Kravitz said. The trustee's husband, former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, is of Armenian descent.

Lois Tarkanian has downplayed the statement as "a joke," Hansen said.

The attorney said Tarkanian had a legal right to voice her preference to Cram and she didn't step over the legal line in her actions.

Hansen said Tarkanian has garnered foes because of her battles against "deep-rooted problems and corruption" in the district's special education programs.

Hansen said none of the administrative moves Tarkanian is alleged to have improperly influenced ever resulted in grievances by the employees. She charged that the lawsuit is an attempt to circumvent the political election process by people who haven't been able to beat the three-term trustee in campaigns.

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