The Old Blog in the Desert

In May 2021, Tony Stephenson raised concerns about the Lyon County Commission’s transparency, alleging the board violated Nevada’s Open Meeting Law (OML).

He accused the board of withholding information about legislation they planned to lobby against. A subsequent investigation by the Attorney General’s office found that the commission’s opposition to various bills during the 2021 legislative session breached state law. However, the opinion confirming this violation wasn’t published until January 2023—almost two years after Stephenson’s initial complaint.

An analysis revealed that since 2022, investigations into such complaints have taken an average of 17 months—far beyond the statutory 120-day limit for filing complaints. The extended duration marks an increase from previous years, where investigations typically concluded within weeks or a few months.

Attorney General Aaron Ford acknowledged the problem and expressed intent to seek additional resources and personnel to expedite response times in future legislative sessions. Previously, a single deputy attorney general handled all OML cases, ensuring quicker resolutions. However, the office now assigns multiple deputies to handle complaints, further extending the process.

The Douglas County School Board has faced scrutiny over alleged violations of Nevada’s OML, prompting legal action. Concerns emerged when several residents accused board members of conducting clandestine email correspondence since January 2023 regarding the election of Susan Jansen as Board President, the hiring of longstanding legal counsel to appoint Reno-based attorney Joey Gilbert, the termination of the superintendent, and the pursuit of anti-transgender school policies, among other objectives.

The situation led to the filing of ten OML complaints against the board in 2023. However, the Attorney General’s office has not released any findings regarding the complaints.

During the same period, the board proceeded with its agenda, successfully installing Jansen as president, replacing legal counsel with Gilbert, dismissing the superintendent and a board trustee, and attempting to hire a new superintendent.