A South Florida elementary schoolteacher from Pines Lakes Elementary had to be hospitalized after a 5-year-old student in her classroom attacked her last week. She had to be intubated and will need surgery.
According to Fox13, two students in the classroom, ages 4 and 5, began throwing objects at the teachers and flipping the chairs.
The injured teacher, Trisha Meadows, brought the 5-year-old into another room after several faculty members split up the students. President of the Broward Teachers Union, Ana Fusco, stated that at that moment the 5-year-old unnamed student then attacked Meadows.
FL Pine Lakes Elementary teacher was beaten, hospitalized after an attack by a 5-year-old student on Wednesday.
— Katrina J. Davis (@KatrinaDavisABC) March 7, 2022
Broward Teachers Union President, Anna Fusco said the teacher had to be intubated and “will need surgery.”
Police confirmed Monday the student will not face charges. pic.twitter.com/tOzFMICxx3
“He actually ran and attacked and jumped on her with his whole body weight,” Fusco said. “She fell and hit her head, which caused the severe injury and other bodily injuries where she is going to need surgery.”
The publication reports that school faculty members could hear Meadows on her school radio, requesting help. When an officer finally arrived to aid assistance, they found her sitting on the ground against the wall, appearing to be in a “faint state.”
Despite Meadows blinking and breathing, the officer stated that she was otherwise “unresponsive,” stating that she was unable to “verbally respond or show any signs of a response.”
A teacher who was attacked by a 5-year-old student is home from the hospital, and the teacher’s union said it was not the first time she has been attacked by the same student.https://t.co/RSIpMyl6Lk
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) March 7, 2022
Meadows was rushed to a nearby hospital but has been released and is recovering at home. She has not yet undergone surgery for her injuries.
It wouldn’t be the first time the student has violently attacked their teacher. Fusco revealed Meadows had been hospitalized three separate times after violent outbreaks by the student, including an incident where the student threw a bookcase on the teacher, leaving her pinned underneath it.
“She has been hospitalized several times by this student. It’s not this first time, not the second time; it’s the third time,” Fusco said. “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.”
One parent, who did not want to be identified, shared with the news outlet that her child is in the same class, a special needs classroom. The 5-year-old has also been known to strike other students, causing black eyes and other injuries.
“You continuously get this from one student, one, two students; it’s an issue,” the parent said. “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.”
The Broward County School Board told WSVN that all district protocols were followed. The Broward Teachers Union says Meadows is unlikely to return to the school.
Due to the boy’s age, charges against him are not likely.
