A teaching assistant in Florida was arrested after he was reportedly filmed using a shoe to beat up a student with special needs.
Michael Anthony Jones was arrested on Wednesday, October 14, and has been charged with one count each of cruelty toward a child by child abuse without great bodily harm and simple battery.
Jones, 66, was arrested after the alleged incident took place at East Ridge High School on Wednesday morning. The altercation was documented by school surveillance footage, as well as a cellphone video recorded by a student.
Authorities became aware of the incident when a student approached a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy that was assigned to the school, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law & Crime. The student then showed the officer a cell phone video that allegedly showed Jones “involved in a physical altercation with a student.”
The assistant principal also provided school camera footage of the incident, which allegedly showed Jones and the student walking toward a doorway in the gymnasium. They two briefly walked out of the frame before the victim was seen falling away from the doorway.
“You can then see Mr. Jones moving toward [the student] who is now lying on the ground. [The student] puts his feet up in an effort to keep Mr. Jones away from him. You can then see Mr. Jones pulling one of [the student’s] shoes off and striking [the student] approximately four times,” the affidavit stated. “Twice on his bottom, once on what appears to be [the student’s] head and once on [the student’s] right arm. You then see Mr. Jones grabbing [the student] and dragging him along the floor as he attempts to pick him up off the ground.”
While the school camera footage eventually lost sight of Jones and the student, the cell phone video captured the victim getting up and appearing to “cower before Mr. Jones.” Jones then allegedly hit the student again, which sent him back to the ground. The affidavit stated that Jones then grabbed him and dragged him up from the floor again.
After the incident was reported, Jones spoke to authorities about his side of the altercation.
“Mr. Jones stated that [the student] had used the word ‘gay’ and that he told [the student] that he could not use the word ‘gay’ Mr. Jones then stated that [the student] spit on him, and that ‘without question, I took his shoe off and spanked [him] with it,’” the affidavit stated. “I asked Mr. Jones if he could tell me approximately how many times and where he had struck [the student] and he stated that it was three maybe four times, and that he had struck [the student] on his leg and arm.”
Jones denied punching and pushing the student, though he admitted he “may have touched” the student before he fell backwards.
During his interview, a deputy asked Jones if he knew the student had special needs. He allegedly responded that “all of them that we work with is special needs, but he understands what’s going on.”
Jones was booked into the Lake County Jail and has since been released after he posted a $11,000 bond.
It is not currently clear if Jones has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest.
