by Chris Peterson
A former Las Vegas theater teacher is now facing multiple felony charges after allegations from former students, raising renewed questions about oversight, reporting, and how long concerns may have gone unaddressed.
Anthony Coffield, a former theater teacher who worked at Spring Valley High School and later Green Valley High School in the Clark County School District was arrested following allegations that he sexually assaulted at least two former students. The charges stem from incidents alleged to have occurred years apart, with one reported to have taken place shortly before a student’s graduation and another dating back to 2016.
According to police, one former student said Coffield contacted her under the pretense of retrieving graduation cords and allegedly assaulted her on campus. That student later reported becoming pregnant as a result of the encounter. A separate former student has since come forward, alleging an earlier assault during Coffield’s time at Spring Valley High School.
In addition to the criminal charges, multiple former students have described a pattern of inappropriate behavior, including personal messaging, comments about appearance, and situations in which Coffield was frequently alone with female students. Some former students told reporters that the environment in the theater program became uncomfortable enough that they eventually left it altogether.
According to sources I’ve spoken to, concerns about Coffield’s conduct were not new. Those sources say that complaints had been raised internally for at least two years prior to his arrest, but that no meaningful action was taken during that time. These claims have not been publicly confirmed by the district, but they add to growing scrutiny over how allegations involving educators are handled once they are reported.
Clark County School District has since terminated Coffield’s employment and stated it is cooperating fully with law enforcement. District officials have declined to comment on whether any prior complaints were filed, citing personnel privacy laws.
Coffield is currently being held without bond as the investigation continues. Police have encouraged anyone with additional information to come forward.
As the legal process unfolds, the case has sparked renewed concern within the local arts education community, where trust, mentorship, and vulnerability often intersect — and where unanswered questions remain about what happens when warnings are raised but not acted upon.
What’s hardest to sit with is the idea that, if these allegations are true, Anthony Coffield knew exactly where his power lived and chose to abuse it anyway. Theatre classrooms ask students to be vulnerable in ways most spaces never do. They trust their teachers not just as instructors, but as mentors, advocates, and protectors.
Exploiting that trust isn’t a mistake or a misunderstanding. It’s a choice. It’s a pattern. Whatever the courts ultimately decide, the behavior described by multiple former students paints a picture of someone who crossed lines repeatedly and deliberately. That kind of betrayal leaves damage long after the curtain comes down — and it deserves to be called exactly what it is.
