Editor’s Note: This article is part of KSAT Investigates’ special, “Dangerous Lessons,” which digs into a problem unfolding in classrooms: students hurting educators.
As part of our conversation about classroom safety, KSAT Investigates brought together a panel of three teachers who have experienced violence from students firsthand.
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They come from different backgrounds: two work with special education students, while the other teaches in general population classrooms.
The conversation tackled difficult but important topics:
- The death of Brandeis High School instructional aide Alfred “Mr. Fred” Jimenez, whose fatal injury after being pushed by a student has become the focal point in the broader discussion about educator safety
- the decision to press charges against students
- support from school districts
- the role parents play in student violence
Violence against teachers can be uncomfortable to talk about, and many educators who contacted KSAT said they were too afraid to speak publicly. Still, they expressed hope that conversations like this one could push for change.
Ahead of the panel, KSAT asked viewers on social media to submit questions. Hundreds responded, raising concerns about classroom safety, discipline and how incidents are handled.
Those questions were taken directly to the teachers, who answered based on their own experiences inside the classroom.
The discussion is part of KSAT’s continuing effort to highlight what educators are facing — and to give them a voice in a conversation many say is long overdue.
Two of the teachers previously worked at school districts in South Texas.
Lisa Martin, who said she had been hurt by students several times, told KSAT Investigates NEISD discouraged staff from pressing charges against students, as well as pulled assistants from self-contained classrooms to help fill other gaps, which meant special education teachers are left on their own.
Kiersten Fenner resigned from Seguin ISD one day after speaking with KSAT Investigates. Texas Workers’ Comp records show she had multiple head injuries which would have prevented her from returning to work this school year. Fenner said a student threatened her life.
Martin and Fenner said districts are not using House Bill 6 - a law enacted last year that gives schools more flexibility when disciplining students.
North East ISD’s response:
When an incident is reported, our District actively proceeds with disciplinary action under the new HB 6 legislation, as evidenced by our substantial increase in expulsions for Assault of a Public Servant. To date, 64 expulsions have been issued for the offense of assaulting a staff member that resulted in Bodily Injury or a more severe injury, in which the student was receiving either Special Education services or Section 504 accommodations.
If a student with a disability commits a serious offense that could lead to a change in placement, a Manifestation Determination and Review (MDR) is required. If the MDR committee determines that the behavior was either a direct result of the student’s disability or the school’s failure to properly implement their Individualized Education Program (IEP), the student cannot be expelled to the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) or placed in the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP). Instead, the Admission, Review, and Determination (ARD) committee must then decide on the student’s appropriate educational setting.
I have no knowledge of anyone being discouraged from pressing charges.
The Special Education & Section 504 Department provides year- round training in verbal and physical de-escalation strategies for both general and special education paraeducators, teachers, and administration.
Seguin ISD’s response:
The safety of Seguin ISD’s staff and students is our administration’s top priority. According to Texas Administrative Code §89.1053,” a core team of personnel on each campus must be trained in the use of restraint, and the team must include a campus administrator or designee and any general or special education personnel likely to use restraint.”
Seguin ISD is actively taking steps to ensure faculty and staff are safe while providing a quality education to all students. These steps, which include an effort to hire more employees, come at a financial cost as the district faces an $8 million budget deficit. Given the rising costs of salaries and classroom resources, the district believes it would benefit from additional state funding to support the needs of its staff and students while meeting and exceeding state requirements.
Seguin ISD leadership is dedicated to being fiscally responsible while providing a safe and secure learning and working environment for all.
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.