LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A former assistant principal at a CCSD high school faces charges related to sexual misconduct for allegedly paying to touch a teenager’s genitals in a school office nearly a dozen times, according to documents.

On Feb. 25, officers with the Clark County School District Police Department responded to Canyon Springs High School after a report of possible inappropriate contact between a staff member and a student.

An administrative assistant at the school told police that starting in October 2024, she noticed the victim “excessively” visiting the assistant principal of the school, Hearley Smith, 54. Smith was employed with CCSD since 2004.

The employee told police she was new to the position and did not want unwanted attention, so she did not say anything to Smith or anyone else at the school, according to an arrest report.

In December 2024, she noticed Smith would close the door to his office when he was alone with the victim and said the victim did not have an individual education plan and did not know why he was in the office with Smith, documents said.

In the incident, the woman reported in February, she opened the door to Smith’s office and Smith “rushed” to the door to block her from seeing inside. She told police she saw the victim “frantically” attempting to fix his pants and saw him tucking his penis back into his pants, according to the report.

The victim told police he met Smith while Smith was assisting the wrestling team and referred to Smith as a “best friend.” He said he would often do school work in Smith’s office and said Smith’s office door would remain open but would be closed during “important talks,” the report stated.

The victim’s family told police Smith appeared to be “overtly invested” in the victim, but would not talk with his parents. The victim’s mother said Smith dropped the victim off at home after school several times, and she told the victim she was not okay with Smith driving him, the report stated.

She said she later saw Smith drop the victim off away from the house so she would not see them. Smith gave the victim Christmas gifts, including a beanie, pants, a wallet, and socks, according to the report.

The victim’s mom said she found money in her son’s pants, and he told her Smith asked him to do pushups in front of him and gave him $20 in return, the report stated. She said she was concerned about the victim because he was no longer interested in wrestling and his grades were deteriorating.

Another school employee said Smith asked other secretaries to change the victim’s attendance record and would pay the secretaries for the changes. A report showed Smith changed the victim’s attendance 131 times between August and February.

On Monday, March 3, Smith resigned from his position at the school.

On March 5, police conducted a follow-up interview with the victim. The victim told police that he was never forced to do anything sexual with Smith, but said he sometimes “freezes” when he is nervous and “other people tend to take that as consent,” and said that happened between him and Smith, the report said.

He told police he began a relationship with Smith in an attempt to manipulate him in exchange for money and said Smith would look at and touch his genitals while in the school office. He said this occurred more than 10 times.

The victim added that the encounters “did not feel good” and he received a little less than $500 from Smith. He also mentioned that he had been to Smith’s house, but the sexual encounters only occurred in the school office.

Police arrested Smith at the Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport on March 7 as Smith was waiting to board a flight to Canada.

Smith told police he “would never do anything to hurt or injure any kids” and retired from the CCSD after talking to a union member about accusations involving a student. He said he believed the victim was “out to get him” and created the accusations with the new secretary, according to the report.

Court records show Smith faces the following charges:

• Two counts of kidnapping in the first degree
• 10 counts of lewdness by a person older than 18 in the presence of a child or vulnerable person
• 10 counts of school employee engaging in a sexual act with a pupil 16 or older

Smith was held at the Clark County Detention Center on a $130,000 bail. His next court appearance was scheduled for March 11.