A substitute teacher in Florida is under fire after allegedly punching a nonverbal student with autism inside a high school classroom.
According to a police report obtained from the Sanford Police Department, 27-year-old Jeffrey Jung was arrested on Monday, May 19, at Seminole High School after staff members said they witnessed him physically assault a student. The report states that Jung approached the student—who was lying on a mat—then leaned down and punched the child in the ribs and arm.
One witness claimed Jung was angry with the student over another incident involving a different child who had a nosebleed. A staff member monitoring the classroom stepped in to stop the assault, according to a school resource officer’s incident description.
The student involved in the incident is nonverbal and has autism, according to both WFTV and WESH.
Police arrested Jung at around 11:18 a.m. and charged him with battery. He was taken to the Seminole County Jail and later released on a $1,000 bond, according to local news outlets CBS affiliate WKMG and WFTV.
Jung had been working as a long-term substitute teacher for Seminole County Public Schools since August 2024. A district spokesperson confirmed that he is no longer employed following the incident. “Any allegations of misconduct by our staff will be taken seriously and handled quickly,” the spokesperson told PEOPLE. “The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and any type of behavior that jeopardizes that safety will not be tolerated in Seminole County Public Schools.”
The police report also noted that the victim’s parents were contacted following the incident. The father of the student provided a statement indicating he wanted to press charges on behalf of his son.
Margaret Thornton, chief operations officer at Opportunity Community Ability Inc., a Central Florida organization that supports individuals with disabilities, told WFTV she was devastated by the news. “I felt heartbroken for that student and their family because their life has been forever changed,” she said.
All substitute teachers in the district are required to be certified in Exceptional Student Education (ESE), according to WFTV. Thornton said that while this is a baseline requirement, schools should consider more advanced training.
“A public educator working with children on the spectrum should ideally have an Autism Spectrum Disorder endorsement, which offers additional training,” she explained. “But beyond certification, schools should invest in emotional intelligence training. Teachers need to understand their own stress levels and emotions, especially when supporting students with complex needs.”
As the investigation continues, questions remain about how someone trained to work with vulnerable students could be accused of such an act. For the family of the student involved, the road ahead may be long—but they’re seeking justice one step at a time.
I would refuse to have my child with this man.