CCSD teacher accused of touching elementary students

A Clark County School District teacher is accused of inappropriately touching multiple elementary school-aged students.

Manuel Ayala-Tovar, 33, was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Thursday on suspicion of two counts of lewdness with a child under the age of 14.

The arrest stemmed from a November 2024 incident at Cortez Elementary School, at North Lamb Boulevard and East Tonopah Avenue, in which multiple students reported being touched on their lower backs and waists.

Ayala-Tovar was employed as a teacher in the district since September 2022, and was assigned to home since the investigation began, the Clark County School District Police Department said in a statement.

The arrest report said Ayala-Tovar had a “pattern of inappropriately touching” and that students reported feeling “weird” and “uncomfortable.”

Ayala-Tovar was arrested March 20 at CCSD police headquarters, the arrest report said.

He appeared in Las Vegas Justice Court on Monday with bail set at $25,000, and a judge approved house arrest. He has a preliminary hearing in June.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.