‘Professor’ claim challenged in state Senate race

CARSON CITY - Patricia Spearman, a Democratic candidate in state Senate District 1, was not a professor or an adjutant professor at the University of Louisville as she stated in news releases and on her website, according to records obtained from the Kentucky university in a public records request by the Review-Journal.

Instead Spearman, who faces incumbent state Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, in the June 12 primary, was a lecturer in Pan American studies and director of the Multicultural Center between 2001 and 2005, records show.

Spearman acknowledged said she was not technically a professor at Louisville, but contended the word "professor" is a generic term that "anybody who has attended college for two days" knows is used by people in referring to teachers.

Spearman, an evangelical minister, is working on her doctorate.

Lee, who did not attend college, has been charging in interviews that Spearman has been lying about her background in order to embellish her credentials in an effort to defeat him in the election. He noted a former Yahoo executive resigned after reports showed he had lied about his educational background.

"If you are a maintenance guy working in a hospital and put out your arm to stop someone from bleeding, you are not a doctor," Lee said. "Maybe her lies will work, but it is just one lie after another."

But Spearman said she has "no reason to lie."

"My resume is not inflated," she said. "I have done some things with my life."

Several weeks ago, Lee said Spearman had not been a school board member in San Marcos, Texas. A check by the Review-Journal found she had held that position.

Lee also charges Spearman received a $25,000 grant from North Las Vegas to open an after-school program for youth, but that she later had to return the money after failing to get the program off the ground. Spearman does not dispute that charge, saying help she had expected from others to operate the program did not come through.

"He said he would run on his record," she added. "Tell us what he has done for the community."

Although reports filed Tuesday on the secretary of state's website show Lee has raised more than 20 times as much money as Spearman, he has been expressing doubts about winning re-election if the primary turnout as expected is small.

The only other candidate in the race is an Independent American .

Lee fears that liberals and gay marriage supporters might be inclined to turn out for the primary and support Spearman because she is liberal and supports gay marriage. Lee is one of the more moderate Democrats and opposes gay marriage.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.