Pembroke Pines

No Charges for 5-Year-Old Who Left Teacher Hospitalized in Pembroke Pines School Attack

The incident happened Wednesday at Pines Lakes Elementary School, and a police report described the incident as an aggravated assault with hands, fist or feet

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A 5-year-old student who left a teacher hospitalized after he attacked her at an elementary school in Pembroke Pines won't face charges, police said.

The incident happened Wednesday at Pines Lakes Elementary School, and a police report described the incident as an aggravated assault with hands, fist or feet.

Pembroke Pines Police officials confirmed Monday the student will not be charged in the incident.

According to the report, the incident began when two students, ages 4 and 5, started throwing things around the pre-K classroom and at the teachers, then started flipping over chairs.

One of the teachers took the 5-year-old into a smaller "cool down" room and that's where the student attacked her, the report said.

The teacher got on the school radio and said she needed help, and that's when an officer responded and found her sitting against a wall "appearing to be in a faint state," the report said.

The teacher needed help getting up and was "clearly weak and dazed" and began coughing and dry heaving, the report said.

The officer requested a rescue unit respond to the school as the teacher "continued to blink and breathe regularly but at no point was able to vocally respond or show signs of a response," the report said.

The National Association of School Resource Officers says violence is on the rise at schools nationwide. Multiple videos have been shared with NBC 6 in recent months showing violent brawls on and off school grounds in Miami-Dade and Broward.

Rescue workers arrived and put the teacher on a stretcher, she was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital.

Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco is representing the teacher who she described as “wonderful” and has 13-years of experience teaching special needs students.

Fusco said the 5-year-old with special needs continued to attack the teacher, even after she was on the floor and unresponsive.

"She was caught where he ran and jumped on her and attacked her with his body weight, which caused the severe injury and she will need surgery," Fusco said.

The teacher's injuries were so severe she had to be intubated at the hospital, Fusco said.

Fusco said it's the third time the teacher was taken from the classroom in an ambulance because of injuries from the same student. Last time, the student pinned the teacher under a bookcase, and she lost consciousness and was treated for a concussion, Fusco said.

The report said the officer contacted the child protective investigations section, who said they would be responding to the child's home.

In a message to parents and staff Wednesday, the school's principal, Susan Sasse, said the campus was secure at all times during the incident.

"As always, the health, safety and well being of our students and staff continues to be my highest priority," the principal's message read.

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