106°F
weather icon Clear

CCSD substitute teacher ‘infatuated’ with student dies by suicide

Updated May 23, 2024 - 8:34 am

A former Clark County School District substitute teacher who was accused of handing inappropriate notes to a 14-year-old student and who admitted to being infatuated with her has died, the Clark County coroner’s office has confirmed.

Nicholas Bott, 44, who worked at Becker Middle School, shot himself on May 18, two days after he had been arrested on May 16, a coroner’s office spokesperson confirmed.

Bott had been booked into the Clark County Detention Center and had posted bail. He had been facing a felony charge of child abuse and a gross misdemeanor count of contact with a minor, Las Vegas Justice Court records show.

According to an arrest report, Bott wrote inappropriate notes to a student, shared his contact information with her, and had told her not to tell anyone. He also told school administrators that he had been “struck with how pretty the girl was” and “became infatuated” with her as he got to know her, according to the arrest report.

“The first time I saw you, my heart skipped a beat,” police allege Bott wrote. “It felt like you were my peer, like I was meeting someone in one of my college classes.”

But Bott also admitted his behavior had been wrong and said “if he was in the parents’ shoes, he would want to kill somebody,” the arrest report said.

School police announced Bott’s arrest on May 17 but did not announce his death after it occurred the following day. Court records contained no mention of the death at the time.

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org.

Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com.

LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
Sponsored By One Nevada Credit Union
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
12 arrested in sex offender compliance check operation

Operation Summer Shield 2024, a multi-jurisdictional sex offender verification operation, took place June 3-7, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Video shows 2 murder suspects at crime scene, police say

Las Vegas police say the suspects admit they were at the scene of the crime in the southeast valley, but they deny killing a man and a woman found dead there.

Teen killed during ‘drug transaction’ identified

A 15-year-old boy fatally wounded in northeast Las Vegas during what police classified as a “drug transaction” earlier this month was identified Thursday.

Teen killed at weekend house party identified

The Clark County coroner’s office identified a teenager shot and killed early Sunday at a west valley house party.