An Ohio high school teacher has been hospitalized after a student, who was acting “distraught,” attacked her last week, resulting in a serious brain injury.
The incident happened inside a classroom at Colerain High School on Thursday, Jan. 4. An unidentified 16-year-old was taken into custody and charged with felonious assault, local police said.
Just after 2 p.m., school resource officers were made aware of an assault, and officials later learned that a teacher was punched “multiple times in the head.” Officers found out the accused student “ingested an unknown drug” before striking the adult, and a classmate then fled the scene, WXIX reported.
According to the outlet, officers located the teen inside the school career center and determined he was hallucinating.
In addition, the student also had a head wound, which was described to be self-inflicted. He was reportedly transported to a local hospital and, upon release, was sent to a juvenile detention facility.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said that the 60-year-old victim had to get brain surgery, more specifically, getting “her skull cap…removed in order to prevent brain damage due to swelling.” Her current condition is unclear.
In a statement to WLWT, Northwest Local Schools addressed the incident, reassuring the safety to the community. School officials offered counseling services for students and employees.
“Northwest Local Schools has confirmed that the incident was isolated and that there is no current threat to the school community regarding the matter,” the district said. “The district remains resolute in their commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students and staff.”
In addition to the charge, the teen will face consequences from the school district. During a board meeting on Monday, a retired teacher opened up about the dangers she experienced while actively working.
“I just have a fear of being in the building,” Melinda Gutzwiller told local news. “There’s just too much going on with the students that are in the building and I don’t believe enough disciplinary action is being taken.”
