JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New details are being released in the April 16 arrest of DCPS employee Tia Smith on child abuse charges, showing more about the incident that led to her arrest at Lake Shore Middle School.

Tia Smith, 43, was booked into the Duval County Jail Wednesday afternoon, online records show. She faces a charge of child abuse without great bodily harm, a third-degree felony.

DCPS said Smith was employed as a paraprofessional at the school, and her arrest follows a “physical interaction with a student.” No other details about the incident were shared by school officials.

According to a JSO arrest report obtained by First Coast News Monday, Smith was escorting a non-verbal special needs student from a classroom due to him being in a “heightened stimulus state.” 

A substitute teacher was in the area, and according to the report, he saw her place her hand on the child’s neck and press him against an exterior wall of a portable classroom, striking the child twice in the face with her fist, the report said.

Another witness heard a radio call for help and arrived on scene, observing Smith and the student “physically engaged,” but not striking one another, according to the report.

That witness took control of the student and led him to a special needs cool-down room on campus. 

Smith was taken into police custody and interviewed. Her account of events was redacted in the arrest report due to the information being under investigation.

“We are in direct contact with the family of the student involved, but wanted to ensure our entire school community was aware of what took place,” Lake Shore Middle School Principal Latasha Clark said in a message to parents Wednesday.

Clark said Smith was removed from the school and will be in a position that does not involve student contact as an internal and external investigation takes place.

DCPS said Smith was hired by the district in 2023. She was later rehired in August 2024 after resigning for personal reasons.

The following message was sent to Lake Shore Middle School families:

“Hello Lake Shore Middle School families, this is Principal Clark calling with disappointing news regarding one of our staff members. This staff member, Tia Smith, who works as a paraprofessional at the school, was arrested today on charges of Child Abuse Without Great Bodily Harm following a physical interaction with a student. We are in direct contact with the family of the student involved, but wanted to ensure our entire school community was aware of what took place. While the presumption of innocence applies, this individual has been removed from the school and will be in a position without student contact while internal and external investigations take place. Again, I Thank you for listening to this message.”