Nevada Pulls Licenses of Valley High Sub Involved in Viral Brawl, Two Others

The Nevada State Board of Education has revoked the teaching license of Re'Kwon Smith, the former Valley High School substitute whose hallway fight with a student went viral on social media in April 2024, along with the licenses of two other Clark County educators. Smith had already pleaded no contest in the criminal case tied to the brawl, striking a deal that could still leave him with only a misdemeanor if he stays out of trouble.

According to reporting by KLAS, the state board's action against Smith closes out a chapter that began when video of the fight spread widely online. Clark County School District Police reported at the time that the confrontation started after a student exited a gym through the wrong doors and allegedly directed a racial slur at Smith, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Smith initially faced charges of battery with substantial bodily harm and school disturbance, and the district pulled him from its substitute teaching pool immediately after the incident.

A Plea Deal With Conditions Attached

Smith pleaded no contest to the charge in January 2025, entering an agreement that reduces his charge to misdemeanor disorderly conduct if he completes 90 days without incident, finishes an eight-hour impulse control class, and avoids contact with the victim, per the Nevada Globe. If he fails to meet those conditions, he faces a suspended sentence of up to 180 days in jail. KLAS reports Smith agreed to a plea deal guaranteeing a maximum of 180 days behind bars, and that he would have only a misdemeanor on his record if he stays out of trouble going forward. The criminal resolution, however, did not stop the state board from moving separately to revoke his teaching credential.

That gap between a criminal case wrapping up and a license actually getting pulled is not unusual in Nevada. Under Nevada Revised Statute 391.330, the state board can suspend or revoke a license for unprofessional conduct, felony convictions, or crimes involving moral turpitude, but licensees are entitled to notice and a hearing before that happens, creating a timeline that often lags well behind an arrest or plea.

Former Elementary Teacher's License Followed Federal Prison Sentence

The board also revoked the license of Alexander Derringer, a former second-grade teacher at Ferron Elementary School who was convicted of possession of child pornography. Derringer used the messaging app Kik to share more than 130 files in 2021, according to the seed story's reporting relayed by KLAS. The U.S. Department of Justice said the investigation began after the Henderson Police Department received two CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child sexual abuse material uploaded from an IP address linked to Derringer's residence.

Search warrants on Derringer's mobile devices turned up thousands of illicit files depicting minors, the Justice Department said. Investigators found 269 videos and more than 2,500 images on his phones. Derringer pleaded guilty in June 2024 and was sentenced that October to nine years in federal prison plus 20 years of supervised release, handed down by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He was 38 years old at sentencing.

Legislative Push to Close the Gap

The Nevada Board of Education revoked the licenses of two other teachers beyond Smith, though the KLAS report attributed to reporter Greg Haas does not name them further in the available account. The pattern of criminal proceedings resolving well before a license is formally pulled has drawn attention from state lawmakers. Nevada legislators introduced Senate Bill 59 for the 2025 session to give the Superintendent of Public Instruction emergency authority to place an immediate administrative hold on an educator's license without a prior hearing when they face arrest or charges for qualifying crimes or sexual impropriety, according to the Nevada Legislature. The bill's stated goal is preventing safety risks while formal revocation proceedings remain pending.

Even without that emergency tool, Clark County School District can immediately terminate an employee or remove someone from its substitute pool, as it did with Smith right after the 2024 fight. Permanent license revocation, however, remains solely under the state board's jurisdiction. To even qualify as a substitute in the district, candidates must hold a valid Nevada substitute teaching license, which requires at least 60 earned college credits, plus a passed background check and specialized training course.

This case adds to a string of Clark County educator discipline actions this year. In July, a Henderson band teacher dodged prison with an Alford plea after his September 2025 arrest over an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student at Basic Academy, receiving a suspended sentence and probation.