Special education aide drags autistic elementary school student by arm 30 feet down hallway, police say

A Las Vegas special education aide is accused of dragging an autistic elementary school student by the arm 30 feet down a hallway.

Clark County School District Police on Friday arrested 21-year-old Zachary May at J.E. Manch Elementary School, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

The arrest report said the student stood up after being dragged and attempted to kick May in the shin, the paper added.

May faces one felony count of battery on a vulnerable person and one felony count of child abuse or neglect, the Review-Journal noted, citing North Las Vegas Justice Court records.

Police said school surveillance video showed May dragging the student from a classroom doorway into a hallway shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday, the paper said.

The student has limited verbal communication abilities and had entered an open classroom and greeted students before May arrived and attempted to get the student to leave, the paper said, citing the arrest report.

Police said a person who witnessed the incident indicated that the student fell to their knees before May “aggressively grabbed (them) by the arm and dragged (them) out of the classroom while (the student) was still on the floor,” the Review-Journal reported.

The witness didn’t hear May say anything to the student, but he showed frustration on his face, the paper reported, citing police.

About five minutes later, video showed the student running away from May and turning a corner in the school’s hallway, the Review-Journal said, citing the arrest report. May turned the corner, grabbed the student, and again dragged the student down the hallway — this time for about 4 feet, the paper said, citing the arrest report.

The teacher’s assistant also was seen hovering over the student at one point, KVVU-TV reported.

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Two of the elementary school’s assistant principals told police they reviewed the school’s surveillance video and saw May grab the student by the arm and drag the student for about 30 feet, the Review-Journal reported.

The arrest report said the student stood up after being dragged and attempted to kick May in the shin, the paper added.

More from the Review-Journal:

Police said they visited the student’s house for a wellness check following the incident and took photos of the student’s arms. The arms did not show any fresh injuries, bruising or marks, the arrest report said.

Police placed May into handcuffs on Friday morning and briefly spoke to him inside a conference room at Manch Elementary, according to the arrest report. When asked about Thursday’s incident, May told police that he placed a minor restraint on the student after they escaped him.

May’s felony arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 9, the paper said, citing court records.

A separate KVVU report said May has been employed with the district since January 2025 and was last assigned to Manch Elementary School as a specialized programs teacher assistant.

Police told the station he will be placed on unpaid leave after negotiation.

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