Former CCSD coach faces sex assault charge

A former employee of the Clark County School District has been arrested in connection with the sexual assault of a former student.

Rene Ruiz, 25, was arrested in North Las Vegas on charges of sexual assault, lewdness, school employee engaging in sexual acts with a pupil 16 years of age or older and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

A woman reported to North Las Vegas police that she went to her wrestling coach’s house for a party in May, where she drank and smoked, according to an arrest report released Wednesday. After the others went to sleep, police said, he forced her to perform oral sex and tried to pull her shorts down three times while she told him no.

“She stated she really thought Rene cared about her and she trusted him since he was her coach,” the woman told police.

Ruiz was a wrestling coach at Mojave High School during the last school year, according to the report.

In a statement, North Las Vegas police wrote that Ruiz was “recently let go,” and he was arrested Tuesday.

Anyone with information on the sexual assault may call North Las Vegas police at 702-633-9111.

Ruiz was on probation during most of the last school year, according to court records, after he plead guilty to carrying a weapon without a permit and driving under the influence in October and November, respectively.

Both cases were opened in Las Vegas Justice Court after the school year started last August, according to the school district calendar.

Public payroll data indicates he worked as a coach for the school district in 2019 and 2020 as well.

He is being held without bail and expected to appear in court Thursday.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.