Lake Shore Middle School employee accused of child abuse says her work environment was unsafe

A Lake Shore Middle School employee accused of child abuse said she acted in self-defense after the student she allegedly hit was being “disruptive” and “violent,” and when she tried to remove him from class, he began pulling her hair. The employee, identified as 43-year-old Tia Smith, bonded out of jail on Friday and spoke to News4JAX about the events leading up to her arrest. Smith is a teacher’s aide who specializes in working with autistic students. According to an arrest report, on April 16, a substitute teacher saw Smith place her hands on a student, press him against a wall, and hit the student in the face two times with her fist.