Texas paraprofessional breaks wrist dodging chair thrown by ‘violent’ student in same school principal lost eye in attack

January 29, 2025 Sharon Banks

A Texas paraprofessional suffered a broken wrist after a student in a behavioral support classroom hurled a chair in her direction, forcing her to dive out of the way.

The incident, which took place at Collins Intermediate School on Jan. 21, is the latest in a string of violent attacks against school staff.

Carol Tidwell, 57, had been assisting in a 5th- and 6th-grade classroom designed for students with behavioral challenges when chaos erupted. She recalled seeing the chair midair and warning the teacher about it before attempting to dodge it.

However, in her effort to avoid getting hit, she tripped and fell backward, landing hard on the ground.

A school nurse provided initial treatment before Tidwell’s husband took her to a local hospital, where X-rays confirmed a broken wrist. The Corsicana Independent School District, located about 55 miles south of Dallas, confirmed the incident and stated that classroom security footage captured the moment she fell.

Despite the injury, the school remained open, with officials saying the situation was quickly “resolved” and learning resumed. However, Tidwell, who started working at the school at the beginning of the academic year, expressed deep frustration over the lack of action in addressing student violence.

“These kids need help,” she said, calling on the district to step in. “The problem’s been there since I’ve been there, and they ain’t done nothing yet.”

Tidwell, who was promised worker’s compensation, is now reconsidering her future in education. “I don’t get paid to get messed up like this,” she said, hinting that she may not return.

Her case is not an isolated one. Just months earlier, assistant principal Casandra Rogers, 56, suffered permanent blindness in one eye after being struck with a clothes hanger thrown by a student.

That attack occurred on Aug. 15, when Rogers responded to a classroom where two sixth-grade students had been fighting. One of the boys remained in the room and, without warning, started throwing chairs at her. Although she managed to avoid them, a hanger hit her directly in the eye, tearing it from the socket.

She was airlifted to a hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery, but her vision could not be saved. On Jan. 14, she underwent a procedure to have the damaged eye removed entirely.

Despite everything, Rogers said she has chosen to forgive the student but remains deeply frustrated with the lack of protections for educators.

“No teacher should go to work and end up being airlifted to a hospital,” she said.

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The violent incidents at Collins Intermediate have reignited discussions about safety in classrooms designed for students with behavioral issues, with staff members demanding better protections and more support for at-risk students.