Pinellas County Schools Employee Arrested for Child Abuse

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – A Pinellas County Schools employee has been arrested and charged with child abuse after allegedly striking a 6-year-old autistic student in a special needs classroom.

According to a news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, 65-year-old David Jones, a substitute classroom assistant at Oakhurst Elementary School, was arrested on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday, September 15, when Jones was working with the student. Deputies say the 6-year-old victim, who is autistic and semi-verbal, was hitting and kicking as a form of communication after lunch.

Jones is accused of swinging a lunch box containing a metal canister, striking the child in the face and caus

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