Federal Civil Lawsuit Accuses CCSD Police Officer of Inflicting Severe Injuries During 2025 Speeding Stop

LAS VEGAS, NV — A local motorist has officially filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Clark County School District and one of its school police officers, alleging a routine traffic stop was unlawfully escalated into a violent, physically damaging arrest.

The legal action has placed the district’s independent police force under heavy scrutiny over systemic accountability and officer conduct.

The Incident Sequence and Alleged Brutality

According to the civil complaint unsealed in the U.S. District Court of Nevada, the legal action stems from a routine speeding stop initiated by CCSD Police Officer Christopher Ciarciaglini. The plaintiff, Michael Scalise, alleges that during the encounter, Ciarciaglini aggressively forced him into tight handcuffs despite Scalise having pre-existing, limited physical mobility from a prior shoulder injury.

The lawsuit further details a volatile sequence where the officer allegedly grabbed Scalise by his restrained arms, performing an aggressive upward shoulder rotation that tore the labrums in both of the plaintiff’s shoulders. Scalise claims that when he attempted to lift his head off the ground to draw breath, Ciarciaglini slammed his forehead directly into the concrete, causing a severe concussion, blurred vision, and various deep contusions and facial lacerations.

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|          CCSD POLICE DEPARTMENT FEDERAL CIVIL LAWSUIT  |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
|  - Case Filing Title: Scalise v. Clark County SD et al. |
|  - Defendant Officer: Officer Christopher Ciarciaglini |
|  - Primary Allegations: Unlawful Seizure / Excess Force |
|  - Reported Injuries: Dual Torn Labrums, Concussion    |
+--------------------------------------------------------+

A Pattern of Unaddressed Conduct Alleged

The civil suit raises deep systemic issues, claiming that the school district was fully aware of Ciarciaglini’s volatile history but routinely failed to intervene. The filing unseals records indicating that the officer has been the subject of more than two dozen internal affairs investigations during his tenure.

Furthermore, Ciarciaglini is currently named as a primary defendant in a separate, ongoing 2025 federal lawsuit alleging he unlawfully arrested a citizen who was legally recording a traffic stop.

“This repeated failure by Defendant CCSD was the moving force behind, and a direct cause of, the violation of Plaintiff’s constitutional rights,” the lawsuit asserts.

A CCSD spokesperson confirmed the district has not yet been formally served with the complaint but clarified that Ciarciaglini remains actively employed by the school district. The legal team representing Scalise is seeking unspecified compensatory damages and a jury trial to address the physical, financial, and civil damages sustained.

Source: United States District Court for the District of Nevada Case Filings, Clark County School District Police Personnel Roster Logs.