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CCSD trustees say regularly-absent Williams should give up her seat
Clark County School District trustee Katie Williams, right, appears at a school board meeting with board President Evelyn García Morales, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Several Clark County School District trustees have called upon the district attorney to investigate fellow Trustee Katie Williams' residency in her district.
Clark County School District trustee Brenda Zamora in 2023. (Frank Alejandre / Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Ramona Esparza-Stoffregan, former principal of Valley High School, at City Hall in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
Dane Watson, a teachers union organizer, at City Hall in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
Lisa Satory, a former charter school principal, at City Hall in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @rookie__rae
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ByMary Hynes/Las Vegas Review-Journal
June 3, 2024 - 1:44 pm
Updated June 4, 2024 - 7:33 pm
Five Clark County School District trustees have asked the district attorney to request that Trustee Katie Williams relinquish her seat, claiming that she no longer lives in her district as required by state law.
“We are very concerned and urge you to launch a thorough investigation into this matter,” states a copy of a letter addressed to Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson that was obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Wolfson confirmed Monday afternoon that the matter was under investigation. He declined to comment further.
Two of the signees, elected Trustee Linda Cavazos and appointed nonvoting Trustee Ramona Esparza-Stoffregan, said the letter was sent via certified mail on Friday.
Cavazos said she has been unable to get an explanation for Williams’ physical absence from either the board’s president or its attorney. Board President Evelyn Garcia Morales did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
If Williams declines to relinquish her position, Wolfson could exercise his authority to declare the seat vacant, according to the letter.
“It is imperative that our elected officials adhere to the highest ethical standards and fulfill their duty to represent the interests of their constituents who entrusted them with their vote,” the letter states.
The letter is also signed by elected Trustee Brenda Zamora and appointed nonvoting trustees Dane Watson and Lisa Satory.
Williams described the letter to Wolfson as “political theater.”
“As a single working mother and citizen-Soldier, my schedule has certainly become difficult,” Williams said in a statement emailed to the Review-Journal. “Even while traveling for work, I make sure to continue to attend meetings and represent the best interests of the voters. The unelected appointees who are spearheading this political stunt are out of line; I’m putting them on notice now. I am not going anywhere, and I will finish the job that an overwhelming majority of District B voters sent me to do.”
The school district did not immediately return phone calls requesting comment. There are seven elected trustees and four appointed nonvoting trustees. The position pays $750 per month.
Remote meeting attendance
For at least the last three months, Williams has attended nearly all board meetings remotely rather than in person, Cavazos and Esparza-Stoffregan said in an interview. Williams also did not attend recent high school graduation ceremonies for schools in her district, requiring Cavazos and other trustees to fill in for her, Cavazos said.
In the past the board was informed if Williams, a member of the Nevada Army National Guard, was absent due to training, Cavazos said.
Williams had announced on social media that she had accepted a job with Nebraska-based Berry Law. A representative of the law office said Monday that Williams was at lunch but generally was in the office Monday through Friday.
Assessor’s records show that Williams name is still on the deed to a house in North Las Vegas that also has her ex-husband’s name on it.
Cavazos and Esparza-Stoffregan said they have heard from constituents in Williams’ District B concerned over her whereabouts.
“Because they are not getting a response, or they don’t feel she’s responding, then I’m getting their concerns, their issues, their solutions,” said Esparza-Stoffregan, who works in Williams’ district which includes North Las Vegas. “But why is she not responding?”
The letter to the district attorney states, “Transparency and accountability are essential for upholding the public’s trust in our democratic institutions, and we request that you take swift action to uphold the principles of this public office and the NRS (Nevada Revised Statutes).”
The letter also questions the legitimacy of recent votes taken by Williams because of questions over her residency. It notes that the board is in the midst of a search for its next superintendent.
Williams, who was elected to the school board in 2020, is not seeking re-election.
Contact Mary Hynes at mhynes@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0336. Follow @MaryHynes1 on X. Hynes is a member of the Review-Journal’s investigative team, focusing on reporting that holds leaders and agencies accountable and exposes wrongdoing.
Trustees letter to DA Wolfson by Las Vegas Review-Journal on Scribd
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