Cram says Tarkanian once held up fed grant vote to assist employee

Clark County School District Superintendent Brian Cram contended that Trustee Lois Tarkanian once held up a vote on a $15.5 million federal grant -- affecting 143 teachers and 15,000 students -- to secure a car, a cellular telephone and a transfer for a district employee.

He said it was "a no-brainer for me" to give in to Tarkanian's demands rather than lose the federal funds. The demands, he testified Thursday, included the expanded purchase of certain computer software that district employees didn't believe was the best choice.

In his first day on the witness stand in District Judge Mark Gibbons' courtroom, Cram said that Tarkanian involved herself in day-to-day district operations that were his responsibility, although he conceded other trustees also urged certain decisions.

Tarkanian is targeted in the lawsuit filed by the Clark County Association of School Administrators because of allegations she meddled in district hiring and promotion decisions or improperly influenced other matters.

Tarkanian, who claims she is the victim of a "vendetta" by district administrators, testified earlier in the week that she pulled the federal funding item from the agenda because trustees had not been provided with sufficient back-up information. She said the item was reconsidered and passed after it was explained the funds would be lost without immediate action.

Cram, who was scheduled to return to the witness stand today, testified that because of Tarkanian's pressure he promoted Ken Bedrosian as principal of Cimarron-Memorial High School in 1993 when he was not the superintendent's first choice.

He termed Tarkanian's involvement "objectionable."

In pushing Bedrosian, Cram said Tarkanian said the candidate was Armenian and that she felt that nationality needed to be represented. The trustee's husband, former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, is of Armenian descent but she denied the comment was anything but a joke.

When association attorney Martin Kravitz asked Cram if he considered Tarkanian's statements a joke, he replied, "I don't think so."

Cram noted, however, that the district strives to be "culturally diverse" in its administrative staffing and said that Bedrosian has done a good job as principal.

He added that pressure to promote Bedrosian came through a "well designed campaign" from a variety of sources.

Cram testified that Tarkanian also used her position to initiate the transfers of two elementary school principals in the district she represents, although he admitted that trustees representing other districts take an interest in the schools in those districts.

In her testimony, Tarkanian freely admitted questioning decisions by Cram and other administrators and told the judge she considers that to be part of her responsibility, but she said she was careful not to step over the line.

The nonjury trial is expected to conclude next week, although it is not clear whether Gibbons will promptly rule on the legal issues that surround the political controversy.

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