A Texas assistant principal has been left blind in one eye after a violent encounter with an “aggressive” high school student who threw a clothes hanger at her face, potentially resulting in permanent eye loss. Candra Rogers was responding to a report of students fighting in a classroom at Collins Middle School in Corsicana on Aug. 15 when the incident occurred.
The student threw several chairs at Rogers, which she managed to dodge, but a coat hanger thrown by the student hit her in the right eye, causing a serious injury, according to WFAA“The coat hanger hit me in the right eye and knocked it out of its socket,” Rogers said during a news conference Tuesday, his first public statement since the incident. “I grabbed my face as blood poured from my head and staggered out of the classroom door.”
The injury was so severe that paramedics on the scene determined she needed to be airlifted to a hospital. Rogers said she was left blind in her injured eye and doctors aren’t sure she can regain her vision. If the damage proves untreatable, her eye may need to be removed. “I still believe God will do a miracle to get my sight back,” Rogers said, adding that she will also face reconstructive surgery on her eyelid.
Following the attack, the student was taken into police custody, according to a news release from the school district. The case has been referred to police. Navarro County District Attorney’s Office and the Juvenile Probation Department, where charges are expected to be filed. The student has also been banned from campus.
Rogers joined the Corsicana district last semester, while her husband, Eugene Rogers, began his first season as Corsicana High School’s football coach this year. There is currently no estimate for when Rogers might return to work.
During the press conference, Rogers stressed the need for better protection for educators, and called on the district and state to take action. “We should never be afraid to be in a classroom with an aggressive student,” she said. “Overly aggressive students need services that meet their needs, but I don’t think the safety of other students and staff should be compromised.”
Rogers also criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state legislature for refusing to increase public school funding despite a $32 billion budget surplus. “It’s important to note that the decision to continue funding Texas public schools at 2019 levels in 2024 is a choice,” Rogers said. She highlighted the negative consequences of this decision, including academic struggles, student discipline issues, and challenges in teacher retention and student support.