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08th Mar 2022

Teacher beaten and hospitalised by five-year-old student for third time

Kieran Galpin

Anna

The teacher has been hospitalised three times by the same student

A teacher from South Florida was taken to hospital following a vicious attack from a five-year-old student that left her “unresponsive.”

Trisha Meadows from Pines Lakes Elementary School was found “sitting on the ground against the wall” by first responders who said she appeared to “be in a faint state”.

According to a heavily redacted police report, the teacher was “clearly weak and dazed”, leaving them able to “blink and breathe regularly.” However, “at no point was able to vocally respond or show signs of a response.”

The incident allegedly occurred after a five-year-old was removed from class for “throwing things around” and “flipping the chairs.” The actual attack happened in a “cool down” room where Meadows and the student were alone.

The teacher was later taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, where they were treated for a concussion.

While the child is still being investigated for “aggravated assault with hands, fist and feet,” a police spokesperson told NBC that it’s unlikely they would be prosecuted. They argued that proving the child could distinguish between right and wrong would be difficult.

Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco also told NBC News that the victim was of slender frame, around five-foot four and in her late 30s to early 40s.

They added that Meadow’s had been teaching an “exceptional student education” with a “group of “children with some type of special needs or special disability, with all kinds of different diagnoses.”

Fusco continued: “The way he pounced on her and the way she fell backwards and smacked her head, it was a severe concussion.

“She’s got some other bodily injuries from him jumping on her, attacking her, kicking, punching, biting that’s going to lead to surgery.”

Fuscoi

While Pines Lakes Elementary School has referred all questioning to the police, Principal Susan Sasse did release a statement following the attack. She acknowledged that there had been “an incident that occurred in school” that required “a staff member to be transported to a local medical facility.

“At all times during the incident, our campus was secured,” Sasse added. “As always, the health, safety and well being of our students and staff continues to be my highest priority.”

Anna

Fusco has since spoken to WSVN, where she said: “She has been hospitalised several times by this student. It’s not this first time, not the second time, it’s the third time.” It’s understood that in one situation, the student pinned Meadows down by pulling a bookcase on top of her.

“The district has failed,” Fusco added. “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 passed one time when it’s that severe of rage and violence.”

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