Northside ISD teaching assistant arrested for alleged attack on autistic middle school student

SAN ANTONIO — A Northside ISD teaching assistant was arrested Thursday after he was accused of assaulting a nonverbal autistic student.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Jacob Hallam, who was employed at Connally Middle School, was caught on camera striking a special education student multiple times in late January. The video also showed Hallam grabbing the student’s face in the cafeteria and forcing her to swallow her food. He then punched the student in the face and stomach, the affidavit states.

The Northside ISD Police Department initiated an investigation that resulted in Hallam’s arrest for injury to a disabled child, a third-degree felony.

Northside ISD released the following statement regarding Hallam’s employment status:

The individual, a teaching assistant hired on August 25, 2023, resigned on March 6, 2024, amid an investigation by NISD police, employee relations, CPS and campus administration after a student’s parents reported concerns to the campus. This remains an active investigation.