Florida teaching assistant accused of smacking special-needs student with shoe repeatedly, deputies say

A Florida teaching assistant was arrested for allegedly hitting a special needs student with a shoe several times and dragging him across the floor, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.Florida teaching assistant arrested, accused of hitting student with shoeMicheal Jones, a teaching assistant at East Ridge High School, was arrested by Lake County deputies on Oct 14, 2026. Jones was arrested on two counts of child abuse and simple battery, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.According to the arrest affidavit, Jones is accused of pushing a student, causing them to fall to the ground, removing the student's shoe and repeatedly hitting them with it.The alleged incident was captured on the school's surveillance video, and on the cellphone of another student.The video, according to authorities, appears to show Jones and the student in a physical confrontation. The video shows the student fall backwards through a doorway and onto the floor. As the student was lying on the