A fifth-grade teacher in Las Vegas is facing multiple charges after students accused him of playing a game where he pretended to stab them with a knife and called girls in his class 'gold diggers'. Kha Nam Nguyen, 51, was arrested on March 13 following a police investigation prompted by a parent's 911 call on February 25.
According to court documents, students at Wing and Lilly Fong Elementary School reported that Nguyen would play a game called 'knife tag', during which he would retrieve a large knife from a classroom closet, turn off the lights, and chase students while pointing the blade at them. One student told police that the teacher 'pretends to stab us'. Police confirmed they found the knife in the classroom.
Students also described a 'teddy bear' game in which Nguyen would pretend to cry until a student hugged him, then pull them onto his lap and refuse to release them. He allegedly made comments about girls' bodies, called them 'gold diggers', and threatened to 'chop off' their hair if they dated boys. Several students said the behaviour made them feel uncomfortable.
Nguyen told police he had been 'doing some of these acts for years' to 'entertain the students' and insisted he was 'just being funny'. He admitted to calling the girls gold diggers but denied other allegations. He has been charged with seven counts of child abuse or neglect and seven counts of unlawful contact with a minor.
Nguyen posted $15,000 bail and has been ordered to stay away from the school, have no contact with minors, and wear an electronic monitoring device. He has been employed by the Clark County School District since 2007; it is unclear if he has been dismissed. The Independent has requested comment from the district.
