A teachers union spokesperson said this was the third attack on the teacher involving the special-needs student.
the attack, which occurred last Wednesday, occurred after the 5-year-old and a 4-year-old student began throwing things and flipping over chairs in a classroom. The 5-year-old was removed from the classroom and was taken to an empty “cooldown” room, NBC News reports.
NBC News reports Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco says the victim is in her late 30s or early 40s, about 5-foot-4 with a slender frame. The student is estimated to weigh between 50 to 60 pounds, Fusco tells NBC. A police report shows an officer found the teacher sitting on the ground against a wall and in “a faint state.” The report says the teacher began coughing and dry heaving, and was unable to respond to emergency workers’ questions. She was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital for treatment.