‘I have been blinded’: Corsicana educator says she lost sight in one eye after student attack

CORSICANA, Texas (KWTX) - Candra Rogers, the assistant principal at Collins Intermediate School who was airlifted to a hospital after she was attacked by a student on Aug. 15, revealed she has lost sight in her right eye after the attack knocked her right eye out of her socket.

“Thank you all from the depth of my heart for all your prayers,” Rogers said during a news conference, “They have given me and my family strength during these trying times.”

The attack happened during lunch when a behavioral teacher at the school called administrators on the radio for assistance with an aggressive student.

Rogers said she was the first administrator to arrive at the classroom and encountered students and the teacher outside the room. One student who was assaulted by the aggressive student was holding his head, she said. The aggressive student remained inside the classroom.

“I entered and found the student was still irate and found the room ransacked with overturned furniture. I knew I had to be as calm as possible and I spoke (to the student) lowly and slowly,” Rogers recalled.

The aggressive student picked up a chair and acted as if he would throw it, Rogers said. “He finally did throw it at me but I caught it mid air. He picked up another chair to throw at me when another assistant principal entered the room. I used the first chair to block the second. He picked up a third and threw it at the other assistant principal and I used that initial chair to block the one that he threw at her.”

After blocking the chair, the student threw a wooden hanger at Rogers and she “could not stop it fast enough.”

WEB XTRA: Candra Rogers’ full statement

“The hanger hit me on my right eye and knocked it out of my socket,” Rogers recalled. “I grabbed my head while blood was pouring out of my head and stumbled out through the classroom door.”

Paramedics airlifted her to Parkland Medical Center in Dallas. She underwent surgery as soon as possible and doctors were able to re-insert the eye. “They believe the damage is permanent and I have been blinded.”

Rogers said she will require additional surgeries to repair her eyelid and doctors may have to remove her right eye. “I still believe in God for a miracle for restoration of my sight.”

“This tragedy affected, not only my husband, my children, family and friends, but also negatively affected my school district and community,” the assistant principal said.

During her news conference, Rogers said Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code, created in 1995 to protect marginalized students in regards to how these students are disciplined, should be “re-evaluated so that no other teacher, principal or educator is ever put in this situation,”

“Chapter 37 may need to incorporate changes to address the mental, social and emotional well being of these students,” Rogers said, “As educators, we care about our students and their safety but we must also care about the safety of our educational staff. Our safety is important, too. We should never have to fear being in a classroom with an aggressive student. Everyone’s protection is paramount.”

“Overly aggressive students need services to meet their needs. I do not believe the safety of other students and staff should suffer,” she added.

The Collins Intermediate School student involved in the attack has been “restricted to a specific location and cannot be on campus,” the district announced on Monday.

The matter has been referred to the Navarro County District Attorney’s Office and the Juvenile Probation Department, Corsicana ISD said.

The school district “anticipates the DA’s office will take additional steps to address the student’s action through the juvenile court system.”

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