Police sought arrest of ex-CCSD Trustee Katie Williams, report says
Despite being a member of the Clark County School Board, a role that required her, by law, to live in her district, Katie Williams moved to Nebraska as early as March, according to a Metropolitan Police Department investigation.
A Metro investigative report released to the Review-Journal on Wednesday outlined how law enforcement determined that Williams, who was elected to the board in November 2020, no longer lived in the district that elected her.
Despite living out of state, Williams continued to serve on the board, however, with police marking 11 instances in which she “influenced decisions, made motions, and/or was a deciding vote,” the report said.
As a board member, or trustee, Williams also collected $750 per month.
As a result, critics such as the Clark County Education Association teachers union as well as members of the public have repeatedly called for revisiting the votes she cast since she allegedly moved out of state, citing the fact that she had a record of being part of a crucial 4-3 voting bloc.
Williams came back to Las Vegas only to fulfill her military duties with the National Guard, according to the report.
Police recommended in the report, which is dated Sept. 19, that Williams be arrested on a charge of wrongful exercise of power.
Williams resigned Sept. 11 after Steve Wolfson, the Clark County district attorney, had sent a letter to her the week prior asking her to relinquish her seat because of the determination that she was not a resident of Nevada.
Williams disputed the letter and in a statement said she was a Nevada resident, but still stepped down. The board plans to fill her seat by Oct. 30.
There have not been any charges against Williams, according to court records, and neither she nor the district attorney’s office responded to the Review-Journal’s requests for comment.
Gretna, Nebraska
Police determined that Williams lived with her fiance and child in Gretna, Nebraska, by looking at a variety of information including Williams’ social media posts, her mailing information, bank records, her child’s school attendance, and other sources, according to the report.
Questions about Williams’ residency arose last spring, when five trustees asked the district attorney to request that Williams relinquish her seat given her frequent phone attendance to board meetings and social media posts.
The union has also accused board President Evelyn Garcia Morales of knowing Williams was not a resident and covering it up.
“It is important for the public to know that governing bodies do not have jurisdiction over who can or cannot be members,” Garcia Morales said in an interview with the Review-Journal before the release of the report. “I cannot look at another member and say, ‘You don’t live here. You are no longer a board member.’ If that was the case, we would never get anything done.”
On Sept. 6, Trustee Linda Cavazos asked Garcia Morales to add an addendum to the Sept. 12 board meeting regarding how to proceed after the district attorney’s letter, according to emails obtained by the Review-Journal.
Garcia Morales responded by saying they wouldn’t discuss the situation at that meeting, but that they would talk about it another meeting.
“Further, this item is not deemed an emergency,” Garcia Morales wrote.
Cavazos responded that Garcia Morales’ answer was not acceptable.
“The community is frustrated and disgusted that an elected official apparently does not need to follow even basic rules that our students are required to follow,” Cavazos wrote.
When asked Wednesday whether the board planned to revisit Williams’ votes, Garcia Morales directed the Review-Journal to the CCSD’s communications department.
The district said in a statement that trustees were moving forward to fill Williams’ seat.
“The Clark County School District Board of Trustees was not provided a copy of the investigation report,” the statement said. “With the release of the investigative report by LVMPD, it appears that the case is closed, and the board will move forward with its vacancy appointment process.”
‘No vehicles or persons observed’
Police said Williams’ fiance purchased a home in Gretna, Nebraska, on March 18.
Gretna Public Schools told investigators that Williams had enrolled her daughter in the school system for the upcoming year on March 11. Her fiance provided a notarized letter indicating that Williams and the child would be living with him beginning March 19. The letter acts as a declaration that Williams was a Nebraska resident, according to police.
Williams also changed her address with the U.S. Postal Service on April 13, effective April 15.
Williams and her ex-husband still own a residence in North Las Vegas, according to the report. Police watched the home, doing four surveillance operations, from June 5 to June 11, the report said.
“During those surveillances there were no vehicles or persons observed coming or going from the residence,” the report said.
While it is legal for a trustee to have more than one residence, a trustee is required to have a primary residence in their district, according to state law.
Police also cited several of Williams’ social media posts as evidence of her move.
On March 7, Williams posted on Facebook that she had been “making some moves.” She also said “I can’t quite announce.” Williams used the hashtags #MoveInSilence and #LifeChanges, according to the report.
Police said she worked at Berry Law in Nebraska, which does not have any offices in Nevada. The law firm told the Review-Journal Wednesday that it was unable to confirm nor deny whether Williams still works there.
Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com.