Loved ones honor Northside ISD teacher with balloon release one year after fatal classroom incident

SAN ANTONIO – Family and friends held a balloon release to honor a Northside Independent School District special needs teacher who suffered a head injury in a classroom incident that led to his death.

The gathering for Alfred “Mr. Fred” Jimenez took place at Bonnie Conner Park on Sunday.

“I appreciate everyone being here today in honor of Freddy,” his widow, Margo Jimenez, said at the gathering. “He really was a wonderful man, and I’ll never forget him. Never.”

The tragic incident happened on Feb. 7, 2024. Jimenez, who worked as an instructional assistant in the Applied Learning Environment (ALE) classroom for students with cognitive disabilities, was pushed by a student. The impact of the push caused Jimenez to hit his head.

He was hospitalized and passed away 10 days later.

“I’m sure he placed something in y’all’s heart too, that you’ll never forget him either,” Jimenez told the crowd.

The incident has sparked discussions about the safety of teachers in the classroom, with KSAT currently investigating the topic.

Also read:

• Widow of Northside ISD teacher who died after classroom incident seeks answers one year after his initial injury
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• NISD teacher, staff union calls for change following death of instructional assistant
• Brandeis High School instructional assistant dies from serious injury by student in classroom incident, official says