Student’s mother says she complained about teacher months before his arrest

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Wednesday, June 8, 2005 | 11:10 a.m.

The mother of a Garside Junior High School eighth grader said she reported one of her daughter's teachers to administrators in October after he allegedly made inappropriate remarks about the girl's physique and underwear -- eight months before the teacher was arrested on seven felony counts including attempted sexual misconduct with a student.

Marc Horton, 27, was arrested near the western Las Vegas campus on Friday. Metro Police began investigating him after the parent of another Garside student reported finding sexually explicit e-mail messages that Horton allegedly sent to the 14-year-old.

Garside officials did not return repeated calls for comment.

The mother, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her daughter's privacy, said her attempts in October to find out from school officials what disciplinary action, if any, would be taken against Horton were rebuffed.

Her daughter was transferred to a different class. But the girl began having "crying episodes" and refused to go to school and was withdrawn from Garside about a month ago, the mother said.

The girl will likely have to attend summer school to make up her class credits so that she can move on to high school in August, the mother said.

"I want the public, the police and the parents to know that this was going on in October and this man could have been stopped," said the mother, whose remarks were interrupted by a long pause as she struggled to hold back sobs. "What happened to all those other girls didn't have to happen."

Horton, who was in his second year teaching physical education in Clark County, has been suspended pending a district investigation. Police say he contacted Garside students as well as other children through the Web site www.myspace.com, which allows people to post photographs, profiles and to exchange messages with other members.

Horton's e-mail exchanges with female students include graphic descriptions of his own sexual activities as well as acts he wanted to perform on the girls, according to the arrest report.

Police say Horton was on his way to meet a 14-year-old girl for a planned sexual encounter at a Garside school dance when he was arrested. He is charged with five felony counts of using technology to lure a child, one count of attempted sexual assault and one gross misdemeanor count of open and gross lewdness.

In the October incident, Horton was proctoring a test when he singled out the eighth grader for attention, her mother said. As her daughter returned to her seat after a bathroom break he grabbed her by the arm and asked whether she was wearing "thong" underwear, the mother said.

Horton allegedly told the girl "I can see it, it's yellow with blue polka dots and blue trimming," the mother said.

The girl said she pulled away from Horton and told him he shouldn't be making those types of remarks. The girl also said Horton had a habit of staring at her breasts and backside, the mother said.

The mother's longtime boyfriend, who joined her for a meeting with Garside Assistant Principal Celina Williams, said the administrator didn't appear to be overly concerned by the girl's account.

"She (the girl) told the truth but nobody believed her," he said. "She has not been the same since this all happened."

While she was far from satisfied by Garside's handling of the incident, the mother said she believed the regional administrator she spoke with Tuesday would follow through on promises to fully investigate the situation.

Rebecca Kaatz, assistant superintendent of the district's southwest region, which includes Garside, confirmed to the Sun that she had spoken with the mother but said she couldn't discuss the specifics of the conversation.

However, Kaatz said, all complaints are investigated thoroughly by both district officials and School Police, when appropriate.

That includes following up on calls related to an employee who may have already been arrested, Kaatz said.

"We will make sure our processes are in order and that we did the right thing and handled the situation correctly at the time," Kaatz said. "Anything we hear, we will send to Metro for their review as well."

In his interview with police, Horton admitted to engaging in online sex chats with three girls, all students at Garside, according to the arrest report. He exchanged pictures via e-mail, receiving photographs of the girls exposing themselves and sent them shots of his own genitalia, the report said.

Horton had planned to meet two of the girls at the Meadows mall last month but they had been unable to locate each other, according to the report.

He also told police that while in the pool during a second-period swimming lesson with students he had groped one of the girls through her bathing suit, the arrest report said.

At the conclusion of the interview Horton wrote a letter of apology "he wanted delivered to the victims," the arrest report said.

Police seized computer equipment and a camera phone during a search of Horton's home. Authorities are also examining whether any school-owned computers may have been used by Horton.