Florida teacher hospitalised after five-year-old lashes out in ‘cool down’ room

Pine Lakes Elementary in Pembroke Pines, Florida (Google Maps)
Pine Lakes Elementary in Pembroke Pines, Florida (Google Maps)

An elementary school teacher was taken to hospital last week following an alleged attack by a five-year-old in Florida, authorities have said.

A police report seen by The Independent said the Pine Lakes Elementary child was taken to an empty “cool down” room on Wednesday last week when they lashed out at the teacher.

Both individuals have not been named in a heavily redacted police report that was first reported by NBC News on Monday, and details so far remain limited.

Police were allegedly called to the school in Pembroke Pines last week and found the adult “clearly weak and dazed” and “slumped” against a wall, the report alleged.

The victim was however unable to “vocally respond or show signs of a response” and according to the redacted police report was “faint”, “dazed” and “responsive”.

The victim was then transferred to the Memorial Regional Hospital and according to the Pembroke Police Department, was released from hospital by Monday.

The incident allegedly began when the child began “throwing things around” and “flipping the chairs” in a clasroom at the school, which is roughly 15 miles southwest of downtown Fort Lauderdale.

While no changes have been filed against the five-year-old, the child was said to have caused “aggravated assault with hands, fist and feet”, according to the police report.

The police department told The Independent that investigation was ongoing.

The Broward County school district meanwhile shared a statement by Pine Lakes principal Susan Sasse that informed parents of “an incident that occurred in school” last Wednesday, according to NBC News.

“At all times during the incident, our campus was secured,” Ms Sasse was reported as telling parents. “As always, the health, safety and well being of our students and staff continues to be my highest priority.”

The Independent has approached the school district and for comment.