GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - A University of Florida law professor has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse after police say he struck a young girl during an argument.
The Gainesville Sun reports 59-year-old Joseph Steven Jackson was arrested Tuesday after police say he struck the girl in the face and back.
Police say during the argument Jackson swung multiple times at the girl's face and also punched her in the back as she ran away.
Jackson has worked at UF's Levin College of Law since 1995 as a senior legal skills professor.
UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes told the paper that Jackson, associate director of the Center on Children and Families, has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Authorities didn't explain the relationship between Jackson and the girl.
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Information from: The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, http://www.gainesvillesun.com
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