Latest news with #SeminoleHighSchool
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Substitute Teacher, 27, Arrested After Allegedly Punching Florida High School Student Who Has Autism
A substitute teacher is facing legal trouble after allegedly punching a Florida high school student who has autism Jeffrey Jung, 27, was charged with battery after witnesses say he entered a classroom and struck a student, who he blamed for another child's nosebleed Seminole County Public Schools said Jung is "no longer" an employee for the districtA substitute teacher at a Florida high school is facing legal trouble after he allegedly punched a student who has autism. Jeffrey Jung, 27, was arrested on Monday, May 19, after staff members said they witnessed him battering a student inside a classroom at Seminole High School, according to a police report provided to PEOPLE by the Sanford Police Department (SPD). Witnesses who were monitoring students claimed that Jung entered a classroom, "leaned down on" and approached the student while they were lying on a mat and punched them in the ribs and arm. One witness said Jung blamed the student for causing another child's nosebleed, per the report. A witness then intervened to stop the attack, according to the arrest report, which featured an incident description provided by a school resource officer. According to both ABC affiliate WFTV and NBC affiliate WESH, the victim is nonverbal and has autism. The SPD arrested Jung around 11:18 a.m. local time and charged him with battery. He was brought to Seminole County Jail for further processing and was later released on bond, CBS affiliate WKMG and WFTV reported. (The arrest report said Jung's bond was set at $1,000.) Jung had been serving as a long-term substitute with the district since August 2024, according to a spokesperson for Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS), who confirmed to PEOPLE on Saturday, May 24, that he is "no longer" working with the district. 'Any allegations of misconduct by our staff will be taken seriously and handled quickly," the SCPS spokesperson said. "We will continue to fully cooperate and assist law enforcement as they continue their investigation. 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 arrest report confirmed that "contact was made" with the victim's parents following the alleged attack. It added that the child's father "provided a statement advising on behalf of his son he would like to press charges." Margaret Thornton, chief operations officer at Opportunity Community Ability Inc. in Central Florida, told WFTV that she felt "heartbroken for that student and their family because their life has been forever changed." Per the outlet, every substitute teacher in the district is certified in Exceptional Student Education (ESE). 'A public educator who's working with children on the spectrum probably already has an ESC certificate. I would urge them, honestly, to have an Autism Spectrum Disorder endorsement, which is an additional level of education,' Thornton said. She added: 'But what they also may need to invest in in the school system is working on teaching emotional intelligence and recognizing as an educator how we are feeling as we're working through the struggles of teaching individuals that need more support and maybe create more challenges.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Seminole High School substitute teacher arrested for punching student with autism: deputies
The Brief A substitute teacher was taken to jail for punching a nonverbal student with autism in a classroom at Seminole High School on Monday, according to an arrest affidavit. The 27-year-old admitted to police he placed his hands on the victim for no reason. The school district confirmed that he is no longer a Seminole County Schools employee. ORLANDO, Fla. - A Seminole County substitute teacher was taken to jail for punching a nonverbal student with autism, according to an arrest affidavit. The incident reportedly happened on Monday in a classroom at Seminole High School. What we know Jeffrey Jung, 27, was arrested on a battery charge after staff members reported that Jung had struck a student, punching the victim in the ribs and arm area. It's unclear what led to the attack, but witnesses reported hearing Jung say, "you made Matthew's nose f**king bleed," before he leaned down onto the student. Jung admitted to police that he placed his hands on the victim for no reason. Jung was booked into the Seminole County Jail. He was later released after posting $1,000 bond. As of Friday morning, Jung had no court hearings scheduled. What they're saying According to Seminole County Schools, Jung is no longer employed as a substitute. He had been serving as a long-term substitute with the district since August 2024. "Any allegations of misconduct by our staff will be taken seriously and handled quickly. We will continue to fully cooperate and assist law enforcement as they continue their investigation.," a spokesperson for the district said. "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." STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Sanford Police Department.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Yahoo
Student, 17, arrested for threatening to 'shoot up' Florida school: Police
A 17-year-old was arrested on Sunday after posting a video online allegedly plotting a shooting at a high school in Florida, according to the Sanford Police Department. Officials said they received an anonymous tip on Saturday regarding a "video of an unknown male threatening to shoot up Seminole High School." The video "pictured the subject with multiple guns, vests and other items of concern," authorities said in a statement on Sunday. Timothy A. Thomas, 17, was ultimately confirmed as the student in the video, police said. Thomas was charged with intimidation through a written or electronic threat of a mass shooting or act of terrorism, police said. Thomas is a student at Elevation High School, which is approximately 4 miles from Seminole High School. He was found at his residence and "taken into custody without incident," officials said. The weapons -- which were seized after the teen's arrest -- were "extremely realistic Airsoft replicas," according to police. MORE: Abundant Life Christian School shooting latest: Motive appears to be combination of factors, police say Sanford Chief of Police Cecil Smith applauded the "swift dedication and arrest" of the suspect. "This fact action and teamwork most likely prevented a tragedy and saved multiple lives," Smith said in a statement. Serita Beamon, superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools, said she was "thankful" for law enforcement's prompt response to the threats. "The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and we will continue to take any potential threat seriously, and act quickly," Beamon said in a statement. Anyone with additional information about the incident should reach out to the Sanford Police Department or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477). Student, 17, arrested for threatening to 'shoot up' Florida school: Police originally appeared on
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Yahoo
Police arrest teen and seize guns after online threats to 'shoot up school'
A Florida teenager was arrested and charged Sunday in connection with what police called online threats to "shoot up" a high school, before seizing a collection of guns and protective vests. The 17-year-old was arrested after police in Sanford, less than an hour north of Orlando, were alerted to a video allegedly featuring him threatening to launch an attack on nearby Seminole High School. He has been charged with intimidation through making a written or electronic threat of mass shooting or a terrorist act. The teenager is a student at Elevation High School, also in Sanford, and was arrested without incident at his home, police said. Police said they acted on an anonymous tip received Saturday, which pointed them to the video that showed multiple guns. The Orlando Sentinel reported, citing court documents, that in the video the teenager claimed to have an extensive arsenal, including an AK-47 assault rifle, a SVD rifle, a Glock 19 handgun and a M4 rifle. When police searched his home, however, they instead found airsoft weapons and an airsoft vest. They also seized a laptop, iPhone, a knife and a notebook from the house, the Sentinel reported. Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said the 17-year-old was quickly identified as the person in the video thanks to the quick collaboration of multiple agencies including the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, Homeland Security, the FBI and Seminole County Public Schools. "This fast action and team work most likely prevented a tragedy and saved multiple lives," he said in a statement. Superintendent Serita Beamon said: "I am so thankful for the collaborative work and relentless dedication of all the agencies involved in bringing this incident to a conclusion." There has so far been one planned school shooting in the United States this year, at a high school in Nashville in January, when one student was killed and another was injured. The suspect fatally shot himself. A 19-year-old gunman killed 17 people at his former school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. Anyone with information on the Seminole County case is asked to contact Sanford Police Department or Crime line at 800 423-TIPS (8477) or visit which they can do anonymously. This article was originally published on
NBC News
10-03-2025
- NBC News
Police arrest teen and seize guns after online threats to 'shoot up school'
A Florida teenager was arrested and charged on Sunday in connection with what police called online threats to "shoot up" a high school, before seizing a collection of guns and protective vests. The 17-year-old was arrested after police in Sanford, less than an hour north of Orlando, were alerted to a video allegedly featuring him threatening to launch an attack on nearby Seminole High School. He has been charged with intimidation through making a written or electronic threat of mass shooting or a terrorist act. The teenager is a student at Elevation High School, also in Sanford, and was arrested without incident at his home, police said. Police said they acted on an anonymous tip received Saturday, which pointed them to the video that showed multiple guns. The Orlando Sentinel reported, citing court documents, that in the video the teenager claimed to have an extensive arsenal, including an AK-47 assault rifle, a SVD rifle, a Glock 19 handgun and a M4 rifle. When police searched his home, however, they instead found airsoft weapons and an airsoft vest. They also seized a laptop, iPhone, a knife and a notebook from the house, the Sentinel reported. Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said the 17-year-old was quickly identified as the person in the video thanks to the quick collaboration of multiple agencies including the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, Homeland Security, the FBI and Seminole County Public Schools. "This fast action and team work most likely prevented a tragedy and saved multiple lives," he said in a statement. Superintendent Serita Beamon said: "I am so thankful for the collaborative work and relentless dedication of all the agencies involved in bringing this incident to a conclusion." There has so far been one planned school shooting in the United States this year, at a high school in Nashville in January, when one student was killed and another was injured. The suspect fatally shot himself. A 19-year-old gunman killed 17 people at his former school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. Anyone with information on the Seminole County case is asked to contact Sanford Police Department or Crimeline at 800 423-TIPS (8477) or visit which they can do anonymously.
