CCSD substitute teacher accused of lewdness under house arrest

A former Clark County School District substitute teacher was accused of sexual misconduct with three students, who told their teacher in May the substitute had inappropriately touched them, according to an arrest report.

Prosecutors charged 72-year-old Steven Cochran on June 24 with seven counts of lewdness with a child under the age of 14, Las Vegas Justice Court records show. The charges came after three female students told their teacher that Cochran had “patted” girls’ backs, buttocks and chests, Cochran’s arrest report said.

The girls told police that Cochran had touched them during class on May 3. On May 6, the following Monday, the girls told their teacher, and Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to the school, the report said.

The school district has said that a man named Steven Cochran was a substitute teacher from March 2009 to May 6 of this year. He is not currently employed by the district.

It was unclear at what school Cochran was substitute teaching on May 3. The school district on Monday directed further questions to Metro.

Through his lawyer, Cochran declined to be interviewed by detectives or take a polygraph test, the report said. Cochran’s attorney, Joshua Tomsheck, said his client pleaded not guilty and denies the charges.

On Monday, Tomsheck declined further comment on the case or Cochran’s employment.

“We look forward to the whole story coming out through the court system,” he said.

Cochran posted bond on July 16 and has been placed on house arrest with electronic monitoring. A condition of his bail was “no contact with minors, no substitute teaching and stay away from all schools,” according to online court records.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 17, court records show.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.