Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Petition for Child’s exit drafted in July
District memo says complainants were scared to report him directly
Angie Sullivan, a second-grade teacher at Stanford Elementary, was so dismayed by Kevin Child’s behavior at a meeting in July that she immediately created an online petition calling for his resignation.
Sullivan said Child berated and tried to intimidate her and other teachers because of their support for the state law known as AB394, which mandates the reorganization of the Clark County School District, recalling that she didn’t think his behavior was how an elected official should act.
She didn’t describe Child’s behavior as “overly friendly, “weird” or “creepy,” as other women did in the district’s investigation of the School Board trustee. But Sullivan said she has heard other teachers describe him that way over the past five months.
“His behavior has been ongoing,” Sullivan said Saturday. “Child is in denial. He’s like ‘No one has ever told me I’m a problem and I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ ”
A four-page memo, dated Oct. 19 and obtained Friday by the Review-Journal, revealed a pattern of intimidating and inappropriate behavior found by the district’s Office of Diversity and Affirmative Action. The memo said Child’s behavior could reasonably be construed as creating a hostile work environment, especially for female employees.
It also shows that although officials knew about allegations against Child going back to at least March, no formal action was taken for nine months. On Dec. 5, Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky issued a memo banning Child from going into schools without written permission.
Sullivan said the response to her petition jumped to 500 signatures in July but had fizzled until renewed interest and 60 or so signatures were added through Saturday. She said the petition was discussed by board members at one meeting last summer, but no action was taken.
John Vellardita, the executive director of the teacher’s union, has also called on Child to resign. Both Sullivan and Vellardita talked about a culture of fear, where teachers feel as if they can’t report Child’s behavior for fear of reprisal.
Sullivan said that because her interaction with Child was limited to that one meeting in July, she wasn’t afraid to put her name with the petition. She encouraged other teachers to come forward, too.
“They need to come forward and tell their stories and stop being scared of him, but it is hard when people have to pay their bills,” she said.
Sullivan is one of the few who were willing to publicly attach their names to criticism of Child. The district memo also detailed how people were fearful to report Child because he is seen as “the boss.”
“In fact, those district administrators who have skittishly come forward with ‘confidential’ concerns or those who have sought guidance under the guise of ‘hypothetical’ scenarios involving ‘one of the trustees’ have made it clear they do not want their names shared out of fear of reprisal from Trustee Child,” the memo read.
Child, who was contacted via a social media message, declined an interview with the Review-Journal, replying that he was with family for the holidays.
“Please respect my family time,” he said in a tweet.
Trustee Patrice Tew said Saturday that she could not speak to any of the allegations without firsthand knowledge.
“I will say that I do not believe in crucifying someone in public before the accusers can be questioned and confronted in an equally public forum with no one shrouding themselves in anonymity,” Tew said in a text message.
Trustees Deanna Wright and Erin Cranor declined to comment when reached Saturday. The three other trustees and Skorkowsky did not respond to requests for comment Friday and Saturday.
The report not only addressed Child’s behavior toward adults but also detailed impromptu “suicide counseling sessions” Child held with young children.
District officials met with Child in March to discuss concerns about his behavior, and Child said he would stop showing up at schools unannounced and wouldn’t meet with female employees alone.
He apparently failed to abide by that agreement, and a formal investigation was opened in September. The results of the investigation were sent to Skorkowsky in October, and Skorkowsky followed in December with a formal ban on Child’s school visitation unless he had written permission.
Child is serving his first four-your term after winning election in 2014, and he is up for re-election in 2018. He could voluntarily resign his seat, like Vellardita and Sullivan want, or he could be subject to recall.
A recall would require 25 percent of the voters from the 2014 election to take action. The process starts with the filing of a notice of intent with the Clark County registrar of voters.
To be successful, the petition would need signatures representing at least 25 percent of the voter turnout in the district, according to the 2016 recall guide issued by the secretary of state. Only people who voted in the election can sign the petition.