Former CCSD trustee says ‘community’ noticed Katie Williams was not there

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — A former Clark County School District trustee tells 8 News Now he isn’t surprised by the district attorney’s decision to kick a fellow trustee off the board.

Dane Watson helped initiate the Clark County District Attorney’s investigation into Katie Williams. On Wednesday, the DA ruled Williams has to vacate her seat by Sept. 9 or she will be removed.

Watson was on the Clark County School Board of Trustees up until last month. He was one of the four non-voting appointed members.

“Everyone noticed that she was not there. It was not just me who sat next to her who noticed that she was not present, but the entire community noticed that she was not present,” Watson, who was appointed by the City of North Las Vegas, said.

In March, 8 News Now reported that Williams had not attended at least 14 board meetings in-person. She would opt to call in. Williams represented District B on CCSD’s school board.

At the time, Williams said she was working remotely for a job that required her to travel between Utah, California and Nebraska.

The reporting by 8 News Now prompted five trustees, including Watson, to write a letter to District Attorney Steve Wolfson in June to investigate if Williams still lives in the state and her district.

On Wednesday, Wolfson’s office sent a letter to Williams stating it was prepared to start proceedings to vacate her seat. The DA determined she didn’t live in the state nor in her district.

“We’re the fifth largest school district in the country in the middle of a superintendent search, and so now we have a school board member who is noticeably absent physically,” Watson said. “I think it did raise a lot of eyebrows about, where is Trustee Williams?”

In its letter, the district attorney’s office is asking Williams to respond by Monday.

Watson said this issue could potentially be postponed until next year when the new superintendent is hired.

Williams is not running for re-election. She was first elected to the board in 2020.

She issued a statement on her Facebook page Thursday afternoon saying, she is not giving up. She is sticking with “Jesus Christ til the very end.”

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