We report a search for CP violation in the decay \tau- \to \pi - \K^0_S (>= 0 \pi 0) \nu_\tau\ using a dataset of 437 million \tau\ lepton pairs, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 476 fb^{-1}, collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric energy e+e- storage rings. The CP-violating decay-rate asymmetry is determined to be (-0.45 +/- 0.24 +/- 0.11)%, approximately three standard deviations from the Standard Model prediction of (0.33 +/- 0.01)%.