A Florida teacher who teaches elementary school students had to be taken to the hospital after getting attacked by a 5-year-old student in her classroom. The woman was extremely injured and required immediate surgery as per her union.
The incident occurred on March 2 at Pines Lakes Elementary School in South Florida.
As per the police report, the attack began when two kids, aged 4 and 5 years, started throwing things around at the teachers and flipping the chairs in the classroom.
Teachers split up the students, and Trisha Meadows took the 5-year-old into a separate room.
While talking to news outlet WSVN, Broward Teachers Union President Ana Fusco revealed that that's when the boy attacked Meadows.
"He actually ran and attacked and jumped on her with his whole body weight. She fell and hit her head, which caused the severe injury and other bodily injuries where she is going to need surgery."
Later, staff heard the teacher calling for help on her school radio. Upon arriving on the scene, the officer saw her sitting on the ground against the wall, appearing to be in a "faint state."
Meadows was blinking and breathing but was otherwise unresponsive, the officer noted, saying that at no point was she able to respond vocally or demonstrate signs of human response.
She was taken away from the school on a stretcher and taken to a hospital nearby. She was released from the hospital and is recovering at home, but she has yet to undergo surgery for her injuries.
This is not the first time that this Florida teacher got attacked by the same student
According to reports by WSVN, this was not the first time a 5-year-old attacked the Florida teacher.
Fusco revealed that Meadows was previously attacked thrice by the same child and admitted to the hospital each time.
"The district has failed. They need to get in there and when the teachers are saying, ‘I’ve got this happening,’ whether it’s one time. It should never get past one time when it’s that severe of rage and violence."
She revealed that the class was sitting in a circle when the child threw a bookcase at the Florida teacher one time.
However, Pembroke Pines police told the outlet that no charges will be held against the child because he is "under the age of reasoning."
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed to the outlet that her child also studied in the same class, which happens to be a "special needs" classroom. She said that the same kid had attacked many other students, which caused them to have black eyes and sustain other injuries.
"You continuously get this from one student, one, two students, it’s an issue. This is not the first time that this has happened at this school, in this classroom. I feel like there needs to be the proper support. This is a special needs class; however, they’re not equipped to deal with things like this."
She further said she wants somebody to be held accountable, be it the parents or the district, so this doesn't happen again.
A Broward County School Board representative told the outlet that all district protocols had been followed. However, the Broward Teachers Union believes that the Florida teacher will not return.