Sunday, April 11, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Regent denies allegations of sexual harassment of women

Accusers tied to demoted official, statement says

Jack Schofield Regent calls allegations "lies, distortion of facts, half-truths"

CARSON CITY -- University Regent Jack Schofield, in a statement released Friday through his attorney, said the sexual harassment allegations made against him are the result of his vote to demote a college official.

The one-page news release from attorney Dennis Leavitt said the two women mentioned in the sexual harassment complaint have ties to John Cummings, the former chief lobbyist for the Community College of Southern Nevada who was demoted in November on a split vote of the Board of Regents.

"Regent Schofield read the report of the allegations against him for the first time on April 7, 2004, and was in near shock at the lies, distortion of facts, half-truths, innuendoes and statements of supposed facts," the release from Schofield's lawyer said.

"Regent Schofield is convinced that these sexual harassment allegations are politically motivated and would never have happened had he not voted to demote John Cummings," the statement said.

Schofield said in the statement that the harassment complaint was not filed until well after he voted to demote Cummings and move forward with proceedings that could result in the loss of Cummings' position at the college.

The statement indicates the woman who filed the complaint, and another mentioned in the complaint who was identified as being outraged by a comment by Schofield, are closely connected to Cummings. It says one is Cummings' "fiercely loyal secretary" and the other is his girlfriend's sister.

Schofield had refused to comment on the allegations in two previous contacts.

Cummings said what upset him most about the statement is that it identifies the woman who made the complaint, not by name but by her position at the college.

"I find it quite disconcerting that he takes sexual harassment so lightly he can violate both law and (university system) policy by revealing the identity of a particular woman," he said.

"What's happened here is that Schofield has compromised a particular woman and been abetted in doing that by the system," Cummings said. "This will have a chilling effect on every woman who fears a regent who abuses his power on any campus in this state."

Cummings also said he first forwarded the concerns of the employee about Schofield to college officials in October, before his demotion.

"I have no involvement except to report the concerns to the system in October when they were reported to me," he said.

Efforts to reach the woman who filed the complaint were not successful.

Schofield, 80, voted to demote Cummings and then-college President Ron Remington after a lengthy closed session about problems at the college.

The written harassment complaint was filed Jan. 14 and initially sent to the university system Human Resources Department. The woman filing the complaint has not been named publicly. The incidents are alleged to have occurred from August 2003 to January 2004.

In the complaint, the employee talks about inappropriate comments and touching by Schofield.

A copy of the complaint with the woman's name removed was obtained by the Review-Journal.

The day the story ran, Chancellor Jane Nichols said the investigation into the allegations had been completed and that the system had "taken all appropriate actions." Nichols said she could not legally disclose what those actions were.

But Leavitt said Friday that Schofield himself has not been informed of the results of the investigation.

"They have not told him anything," Leavitt said. "He feels there is no truth to the allegations. If the investigation exonerates him, he would like to know that."

Leavitt said he has requested a copy of the investigation so Schofield can review it for himself.

Leavitt said Schofield is also considering all his options about how to respond to the false accusations, including legal options.

In the statement, Schofield said he is angry that an effort has been made to "defame and character assassinate an 80-year-old man who has dedicated 50 plus years to public service."