The monthly NAC meeting is usually for fighter and event licensing, reimbursements and drug test failure suspensions. On Tuesday, the topic was more emotional – and it was reflected in some of the conversations. A public debate came less than 24 hours after a full investigative report into the death of 20-year-old student Nathan Valencia came to light. “Law enforcement’s statements that no crime had been committed were persuasive and premature and jeopardized any possible future prosecution,” the 158-page report concluded. Valencia, 20, died after the Nov. 19 boxing event sponsored by UNLV’s Kappa Sigma fraternity chapter. Drugs and alcohol, poor equipment and a referee who drank while officiating were reportedly part of the Sahara Events Center ‘Fight Night’. Valencia was participating in a boxing match at the Sahara Event Center and collapsed after sustaining injuries. The event was not overseen by the NAC because of a loophole in state law that allows events with primarily college students and organized by schools or such organizations to be exempt from amateur regulation. Valencia died four days later on November 23. Since Valencia’s death, there has been a great deal of anger and concern in Nevada about finding responsibility for the tragic matter. Days after Valencia’s death in November, Klubeck invoked an emergency “Nathan’s Law” order that would have closed the loophole. “This is an underground fight,” commissioner Anthony Marnell said Tuesday. “I think I’m not going to testify to anyone’s intent. No one intended any of this to happen. No one intended or premeditated this.”
Finding accountability
First Assistant District Attorney Kyle George answered questions first, followed by Assistant District Attorney Christopher Lally, who said he had just received the report hours before the meeting. “Aren’t you prepared?” NAC president Stephen Cloobeck shouted at Lalli. “You just said you didn’t read anything and you’re not prepared. … Do you want to discuss with me at my committee meeting? Do you really want to go there?’ Lally explained that he had not received a request from the LVMPD to investigate the matter, so his office never had the means to do so. Although he apologized for his outburst, Klubek said the nature of Valencia’s death angered him deeply — something he repeated frequently throughout the meeting. “Guys, I got the call when he went to the hospital,” Klubeck said, in his final statement, after several heated exchanges. “I also got the call when it ended. Not great appeals. Not great calls. That’s why I’m so passionate because I saw so many failures and so many commitments from people who I thought were community leaders and leaders who wanted to do the right thing.” The LVMPD was then called in, where Deputy Chief James LaRochelle took the stand. “Are you going to triple today?” Klubeck asked. “Or are you going to step in and do the right thing? … We all pay you to do your job. This is not political.” He later added: “I would love for Metro to do an investigation.” LaRochelle took the position that his department quickly looked into the situation, but reiterated that no criminal charges or homicide investigation were warranted given the information they obtained.
Marnell takes a calm approach
While Klubek spoke largely from a point of audible and visible emotion, Marnell spoke calmly but firmly as he tried to get to the bottom of the issue. Marnell, who has been with the NAC for nearly a decade, said NAC representatives have tried to push for stricter legislation to oversee college and fraternity fighting games. Marnell said lawmakers have long dismissed the activity as part of campus culture. “That’s such a finite line in the statute and the reg,” Marnell said. “How would you know? We have people working in our office who don’t even know. … Our legislators, our executive branch and our higher education system are extremely aware of this regulation and have fought against us for decades to change it. It’s just as responsible for it. They should have changed it 10 years ago.”
The conversation ends
A lawyer representing Valencia’s opponent “Fight Night” Emmanuel Logan was pressured by Cloobeck to hand over the gloves used on the night of the fight. Logan replied that he would have to speak with his client first, but added that they had never been asked, despite Klubeck’s indication that Alleman may have obstructed the investigation. The owner of the Sahara Event Center and the fraternity manager also declined to comment, through their attorneys, because of the pending civil lawsuit. All parties involved concluded that heads need to be put together and more discussions held, although no concrete steps were agreed upon. “Certainly this situation here says that inter-agency we can improve our communication and early on we can all get together in a room and discuss who has what, for clarity,” Deputy Chief LaRochelle said. When asked by Executive Vice President Stasi Alonso about what should be done, First Assistant Attorney General George indicated that possibly strengthening the law could come into play. “One of the things I’ve heard talk about is maybe a legislative solution,” George said. “This committee acted on December 13th to pass Nathan’s Law, which was a regulatory fix that affirmed some additional oversight, but these events can still continue. This temporary measure was passed criminally, so we need to make a regulation now. There are additional protections that did not exist on November 19. Perhaps this is the time for future legislative action that can make the determination one way or the other. “ Watch the full NAC discussion below.
