Editor’s Note: This article is part of KSAT Investigates’ special, “Dangerous Lessons,” which digs into a problem unfolding in classrooms: students hurting educators.
Teachers across Bexar County say getting hurt by students is part of the job. Data reviewed by KSAT Investigates shows it’s happening in nearly every school district, even as many incidents go unreported.
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Pushed out by the physical toll
In her living room, Tracey Sorrell has a gift from a student on display -- a hand drawn class portrait. Each stick figure represents a child she taught at Pease Middle School.
“You get special relationship with the kids and with a lot of the parents,” she said.
Sorrell said she’s worked at Northside ISD for 20 years, mostly working in special education.
“I love it,” she said. “I actually love when they get something.”
Sorrell’s love for the job no longer outweighs the physical toll it’s taken on her.
“How much longer do you plan to teach?” asked KSAT Investigates reporter Daniela Ibarra.
“This is my last year,” replied Sorrell. “I hadn’t planned on retiring for about four more years, but I just, I can’t physically do it anymore. It is too difficult. “
The bruises and scars on her body are proof.
“These are from grabs,” she said, pointing to purple marks on her arms.
Sorrell described injuries she’s gotten over the years, which include a cracked cheekbone, broken toes, and ripped toenails.
A stack of envelopes on her counter are letter’s she’s gotten from the district’s risk management office about her injuries. For this school year, Sorrell said she’s reported 30.
KSAT Investigates has spoken to several teachers over the years about student-caused injuries they’ve gotten. Those teachers described the lasting effects on their physical and mental health, as well as their careers.
Alfred “Mr. Fred” Jimenez, a Brandeis High School instruction aide who died after being pushed by a student, had been hurt on the job before.
“He came home with his glasses broken, you know, he had a black eye and a cut,” recalled his widow, Margo Jimenez.
What the data reveals about your district
The Texas Education Agency confirmed to KSAT it does not keep track of the number of student-caused injuries reported by educators.
KSAT Investigates has spent the last few years getting the data from districts, which are not kept consistently. We previously reported that several districts do not have data from several years ago.
Through an analysis of records from the last three full school years, KSAT Investigates found more nearly 8,000 reports of student-caused injuries.
In Northside ISD, records show a pregnant teacher had to visit her obstetrician after a student pushed her stomach and knocked the wind out of her.
A student in North East ISD started throwing desks and chairs after getting upset over being assigned homework. The district’s report said the student started punching, scratching, and biting his teacher.
A Southwest ISD instructional aide went to the emergency room after a student threw a toy and hit her. Documents show the aid threw up and got disoriented.
On average, data shows about 15 injury reports a school day were made during the 2024-2025 school year. But educators tell KSAT the number of injuries could be higher.
Sorrell told KSAT she did not report what she described as minor injuries, like kicks.
While not all reports specified what types of students caused the injuries, many of the reports stated that they are connected to special education classrooms like Sorrell’s.
“We all have a lot of scars just getting through this year physically and emotionally,” she said.
Sorrell does not fault her students for hurting her.
“Our students are either on the spectrum or they have some intellectual disability,” she explained. “They may understand what they’re doing, but they may not be able to control it.”
Her family worries her next wound could be worse.
“My son is afraid of getting a call, you know, from urgent care, from the ER, that I’m there,” she said.
As her time in the classroom ends, Sorrell hopes her stories, reports from other educators, and her former colleague Mr. Fred’s death serve as lessons to create change in the classroom.
“I can’t see a reason for anybody to die on the job in a school,” she said. “It should never happen.”
Tell us your story
KSAT Investigates reporter Daniela Ibarra is not done investigating violence against teachers in the classroom, and she needs your help.
If you’ve experienced violence in the classroom or if you’re the parent of a student who has injured a teacher and want to share your story, we want to hear from you.
You can share your story and any photos or videos of the injuries or aftermath by filling out this form or by emailing Ibarra at dibarra@ksat.com.
Daniela is an IRE 2025 Chauncey Bailey Investigative Reporting Fellow. This story is part of her yearlong project focusing on teacher injuries by students.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.