Brandeis instructor’s death ruled a homicide
The death of a Brandeis High School instructional assistant who succumbed to his injuries Monday has been ruled a homicide.
Alfred “Mr. Fred” Joseph Jimenez, 73, died Saturday as a result of blunt force head injuries, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, who made the ruling.
On Feb. 7, Jimenez was “redirecting” a student when he fell, according to Barry Perez, Northside Independent School District spokesman. He was hospitalized until his death.
On Thursday, Perez said San Antonio police have taken over the investigation into Jimenez’s death.
Jimenez had worked in the Applied Learning Environment classroom since September 2014. The Northside American Federation of Teachers said Jimenez was dedicated to helping his students, each of whom has moderate to severe cognitive disabilities.
With the revelation of the examiner’s ruling, the Northside AFT broke its silent mourning of the beloved instructor and blamed the circumstances surrounding his death on Gov. Greg Abbott and other state lawmakers.
“My heart aches for Mr. Fred’s family, friends, students and colleagues, of which I myself was one,” said Northside AFT President Melina Espiritu-azocar.
Jimenez’s situation, the union said, is a worry that nags at educators in Northside ISD and across the state daily.
The union said that redirecting a student is a best practice every special education paraprofessional and educator is instructed to do.
“My heart is broken more with every phone call in recent days, as educator after educator has told me something similar, ‘That could have been me,’ ” Espiritu-azocar said. “The fault for this senseless tragedy does not lie with Fred, who did exactly what he was supposed to do, or with the student, whose needs have not been met. The villains in this story sit in the governor’s mansion and the state Capitol, far away from the consequences of their continual undermining and endangerment of our schools.”
The union said it stands in solidarity with those affected by the tragedy and want to make one thing clear: “Every educator, regardless of their role, deserves to feel safe and protected while carrying out their vital duties and every student deserves a supportive, compassionate, and safe learning environment.”
Neither fact, the union states, can be achieved with state funding that never increases and a climate so hostile to public education that educators cannot be retained.
“Northside AFT mourns the loss of Fred, but we hope his death will be a wake-up call for both our district and our state about the pressing need for comprehensive measures to ensure educator’s workplace safety,” the union said in a statement.
The union is calling on Northside ISD and the state to make comprehensive changes, including robust training for all staff in de-escalation techniques; adequate staffing in all student support positions, particularly in the self-contained special education classrooms; widespread access to mental health support for staff, students and families; and comprehensive safety protocols tailored to the unique needs of each classroom setting.