Wendy DiVecchio factors to disagreement with the board over LVR’s possession of its MLS as a possible cause she was suspended, investigated and subsequently fired final week.
Flip up the amount in your actual property success at Inman On Tour: Nashville! Join with trade trailblazers and top-tier audio system to achieve highly effective insights, cutting-edge methods, and invaluable connections. Elevate what you are promoting and obtain your boldest targets — all with Music Metropolis magic. Register now.
The Las Vegas Realtors govt who was suspended from her function as CEO following allegations of fraud stated she was improperly terminated following medical points and a disagreement over the group’s possession of the native a number of itemizing service.
These particulars come out of a lawsuit filed by Wendy DiVecchio this week. DiVecchio was placed on depart final summer time and subsequently terminated on Jan. 27 and is now suing the group and former board members after she stated she was improperly fired following a chronic and twisting investigation.
DiVecchio alleged board members interfered along with her contract, defamed her and that the group she ran between 2017 and 2024 wrongfully terminated her and breached her contract.
The lawsuit stems from allegations of election tampering that surfaced final August, when DiVecchio was suspended with pay for what she stated have been baseless allegations. It additionally continues a tumultuous 12 months for the group, which noticed a bodily altercation get away at one in all its conferences final 12 months following a dispute.
The investigation and dismissal adopted what DiVecchio stated was a disagreement between herself and members of the Las Vegas Realtors board over the connection between LVR and the a number of itemizing service that LVR owns and controls.
DiVecchio’s criticism didn’t present particulars concerning the disagreement, together with whether or not she or board members believed the group ought to sever its ties with the MLS. Her lawyer didn’t reply a query about what DiVecchio and the board disagreed on associated to the MLS possession.
A consultant for the Las Vegas Realtors didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark about allegations DiVecchio made in her criticism, which was filed on Monday.
The previous CEO alleged her fame was irreparably broken after the board leaked particulars of the investigation within the media earlier than it was concluded, in accordance with the criticism.
“One way or another, the LVR Investigation was designed to ensure that [DiVecchio] would be dismissed from her position, irrespective of what any evidence showed,” the criticism stated. “Simply stated, the LVR Board denied [DiVecchio] any sort of due process as to these new allegations and Plaintiff remains unaware of the details of these new allegations as to this writing.”
DiVecchio served because the group’s CEO between January 2017 and January 2025 and, due to this fact, was a member of the board of administrators. She labored on the group since June 1999.
In keeping with her criticism, DiVecchio’s contract acknowledged she’d function CEO of the group via the top of 2032 and that she had by no means been disciplined or obtained a unfavorable overview throughout her 25 years with the group.
She was suspended on Aug. 9, two days after LVR held its election of board members for phrases that will start in 2025.
The following investigation lasted 4 months, in accordance with the criticism, throughout which period board members shifted their focus in an try to search out trigger to terminate DiVecchio.
In that point, DiVecchio was instructed to not contact any of the group’s almost 15,000 members throughout what she was instructed can be a 30-day investigation into alleged election tampering.
The Las Vegas Evaluate-Journal reported on Aug. 13 that it had obtained an inside memo from former LVR President Merri Perry about alleged election tampering. The memo didn’t title DiVecchio, however unnamed actual property brokers within the space confirmed DiVecchio’s suspension for the information outlet on the time.
The criticism alleged there had been a “series of resignations” and “at least one forcible removal” of a director of the board whereas the investigation into DiVecchio was ongoing.
Perry was set to serve on the board as rapid previous president in 2025, in accordance with the lawsuit.
“Yet, for reasons withheld from the public as well as the LVR membership (but which will be developed through the instant action), Perry unceremoniously resigned from her position with the LVR Board on or about January 2, 2025.”
Joshua Campa was set to function president in 2025 but in addition resigned on about the identical day.
Geoffrey Lavell was elected to serve a two-year time period in 2025. The lawsuit alleges Lavell resigned in November however stated he remained a member of the board a couple of month later.
LVR didn’t reply to a query about who presently serves on the board, and the data is password-protected.
The criticism alleges that former LVR vice chairman and Vegas agent Shane Nguyen resigned from his place on Nov. 27, 2024.
DiVecchio alleges in her criticism that the board members resigned “in order to distance themselves from the wrongdoing and negative publicity associated with their actions taken not only in relation to the 2024 election, but also with regard to their adverse and improper actions toward Plaintiff specifically, in the course of the LVR Investigation, with the ultimate goal of seeing Plaintiff dismissed.”
DiVecchio additionally stated that she had suffered an unspecified medical episode in August throughout a gathering the place she was “confined to the floor and unable to get up for a period of time.”
Throughout that assembly, DiVecchio alleges that Nguyen “stated his opinion to the Board that he considered the episode unprofessional and further opined that LVR cannot have a CEO with medical problems,” in accordance with the criticism.
Nguyen didn’t reply to a request for remark about his alleged resignation or the alleged feedback. DiVecchio stated in her criticism that the statements have been the topic of a overview by the Nevada Equal Rights Fee.
The Nevada Equal Rights Fee instructed Inman it doesn’t verify the existence of its opinions until subpoenaed by a member of the overview.
