AG: Nevada education department didn’t violate open meeting law

Despite receiving 98 complaints, the state Attorney General’s office says the Nevada Department of Education didn’t violate the Open Meeting law at hearings on a gender diversity policy on March 30.

The complaints said the department scheduled the session at a time most participants couldn’t attend and there wasn’t enough room for the public to attend.

The opinion, written by Deputy Attorney General Rosalie Bordelove, said the meeting was held on Good Friday, a religious holiday for some but not a legal holiday in Nevada.

The locations were at the department’s boardrooms in Carson City and Las Vegas and at Silverado High School in Las Vegas. There was an overflow crowd in the boardroom in Las Vegas and public members were advised to go to Silverado High School.

The meeting was delayed to allow those persons to travel to Silverado High School.

Bordelove said no evidence was presented any member of the public was prevented from attending the hearing that lasted four hours.

She said the education department provided three locations where the public could attend and make public comments. There was no violation of the Open Meeting Law, said Bordelove in her legal opinion.

Bordelove also released a second opinion Tuesday finding there was no Open Meeting Law violation in a session of four members of the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education holding a meeting May 4 in Las Vegas.

The opinion was requested by Alissa Magness, who said there was no public notice of the meeting.

Bordelove said the law applies to a quorum of a government body. In this case there were only four of the 13 members present. It would have required seven members to attend to come under the law.