LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Another lawsuit filed against the Clark County School District (CCSD) by an employee is the latest legal action taken against the district this year.
The 32-page lawsuit was filed in federal court in mid-April by an IT supervisor alleging a hostile work environment and severe financial issues within the department.
041624 Filed Lawsuit Against CCSD by christian.hudspeth on Scribd
When reached via phone Friday afternoon, the employee, Rick Allen, told Channel 13 the lawsuit was his last resort after following the proper whistleblower and HR channels for months, and hopes "it leads to a more positive culture within CCSD, focused on the safety and security of staff and students."
In the lawsuit, Allen's attorney, Trevor Hatfield, claims Allen's role was significantly reduced over time, and the change in his responsibilities–including lack of departmental budget oversight–may have led to 26 IT staffers losing their jobs and contributed to CCSD's October 2023 cyber attack.
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Channel 13 reached out to CCSD for a response to this most recent lawsuit, and a spokesperson replied that the district does not comment on pending litigation.
The district has recently cited both cyber security challenges and increased legal fees as costly contributors to its multi-million dollar budget deficit, which was originally estimated at $20 million, but revised by CCSD Interim Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell at Thursday's board meetingto nearly $11 million.
Also at Thursday's meeting, trustees voted to approve another $3.5 million payout for a separate lawsuit. Channel 13 was told by a district spokesperson on Wednesday that the lawsuit involved minors, and they couldn't provide any other details.
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A district representative said CCSD budgeted $30 million for litigation costs, and they've gone over that by $23 million.
