A hallway encounter at Lake Hills School in Howey-in-the-Hills ended with a classroom aide fired, arrested, and now facing felony charges after security video showed him repeatedly shoving a nonverbal student into a wall, according to police.
Howey-in-the-Hills officers say the incident unfolded around 1 PM on May 6, as staff escorted the student through a hallway. The child, who is diagnosed with autism and epilepsy and communicates using pictures and an electronic device, was being walked by employees when the confrontation began.
Security footage and an arrest affidavit describe 60-year-old Mark McArthy bending the student’s arm backward, putting his hand over the child’s mouth, and pushing him into a hallway wall five times, according to FOX 35 Orlando. McArthy told officers the student had been blowing air and spitting at him. The affidavit notes that officers saw the child blowing air but did not see spitting. The student’s mother told investigators she wanted to press charges, according to the affidavit.
Lake Hills Serves Students With Complex Needs
Lake Hills School is Lake County Schools’ Exceptional Student Education center, according to Lake Hills School. The campus, located at 909 South Lakeshore Boulevard in Howey-in-the-Hills, serves students with autism and related disabilities and lists therapy teams and individualized supports as part of its program.
Charges And Upcoming Hearing
McArthy is charged with felony child abuse, battery, and resisting an officer without violence. Court records show he pleaded not guilty on May 11 and has a felony arraignment scheduled for June 1, according to FOX 35 Orlando. The arrest affidavit states that school officials reported the incident to the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the district told reporters McArthy had been employed since August 2025 and was terminated last week.
Mandated Reporting And What Comes Next
Florida law requires anyone who knows or suspects child abuse to report it immediately to the Department of Children and Families, which runs a 24/7 abuse hotline, the Florida Department of Children and Families notes. DCF screens those reports and works with local law enforcement while investigations are in progress, so both prosecutors and the agency have a role as this case moves forward.
The case remains active as it heads to Lake County court for arraignment on June 1. The student’s family has told investigators they want accountability, and district officials along with DCF are handling follow-up procedures while the criminal case proceeds.
