Settlement approved over Las Vegas substitute accused of hitting student

Settlement approved over Las Vegas substitute accused of hitting student Parents of a nonverbal 13‑year‑old on the autism spectrum have agreed to a $1 million settlement with the Clark County School District after alleging that a substitute teacher struck their son with a shoe five times in October 2023. The Clark County School Board authorized the payment at its Thursday meeting, resolving a 2025 lawsuit filed by Vanessa Valladares and Michael Saavedra on behalf of their child, identified in the complaint as M.S. The suit accused Carole Riordan, who was substituting at Molasky Junior High School, of hitting the student’s forearm and hand with a footwear item on five separate occasions. Riordan denied the allegation in a past interview with the Las Vegas Review‑Journal, stating, “I’m affirmative it didn’t happen,” and adding, “I don’t deed kids.” She contended that an earlier district investigation found she was not present in the classroom at the time. Court filings from lawyers representing Riordan and the district rejected the claim that she struck the student. Attorneys for Valladares and Saavedra did not respond to requests for comment on the settlement docket item. The board’s vote empowers Jon Okazaki, the district’s general counsel, to execute the settlement agreement signed by Superintendent Jhone Ebert, the School Board, and the district.