‘Grieving his loss’: NISD staff member dies after head injury in classroom

The Brandeis High School community is mourning the loss of an instructional assistant on Monday, February 19, after previous reports that he fell and sustained a head injury earlier this month during an interaction with a student, Northside ISD officials say.

Alfred Jimenez, known as “Mr. Fred” by students in his Applied Learning Environment classroom, reportedly worked with students who have moderate to severe cognitive disabilities, district officials tell MySA. He had worked for Northside ISD since 2014.

As first reported by KSAT 12, the incident allegedly happened on the morning of February 7. According to Barry Perez, a spokesman for the district, the injury occurred while Jimenez was “attempting to redirect a student.” However, through the course of the interaction, Jimenez reportedly “fell to the floor and sustained a head injury.” 

The assistant was then immediately transported to a nearby hospital by emergency medical services, Perez told KSAT. However, he ultimately succumbed to his injuries over the weekend.

Campus administrators and Northside ISD Police are currently conducting an investigation and are following the district’s Student Code of Conduct, Perez added. The district also said counselors will be made available to support any students and staff on campus.

MySA contacted Brandeis High School for comment regarding the death of Jimenez. The district issued the following statement to MySA from Dr. John Craft, NISD superintendent, and Dr. Geri Berger, Brandeis High School principal:

“The Brandeis High School community is saddened to report the passing of Alfred “Mr. Fred” Jimenez, a valuable Northside family member since 2014. Mr. Jimenez served in the role of Instructional Assistant in the campus’ Applied Learning Environment (ALE) classroom helping to meet the specialized needs of students with moderate to severe cognitive disabilities. 

The entire Bronco family is grieving his loss. His impact on the campus was far reaching and impacted students and staff both in and out of the classroom. 

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Jimenez Family during this challenging time. We remain dedicated to providing support to Mrs. Jimenez and her family. In addition, counselors will also be available to support students and staff at the campus. We ask that you keep those affected in your thoughts and prayers.”