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Texas asst. principal blinded in one eye by student who threw hanger at her, she says

Candra Rogers gave an update on her injury in her first public statement since she was injured during a reported "disruption" in a classroom on Aug. 15.

CORSICANA, Texas — A North Texas assistant principal is blinded in one eye - and may lose the eye entirely - after a student threw a hanger at her during an incident at Collins Intermediate School in Corsicana, she said.

Candra Rogers gave an update Tuesday on her injury in her first public statement since she was injured while responding to a report of a student who was assaulted by another student in a classroom on Aug. 15. 

An "irate" student threw several chairs at Rogers before throwing a hanger, which she couldn't dodge. 

"The hanger hit me in my right eye and knocked it out of the socket," Rogers said. "I grabbed my face while blood was pouring out of my head and stumbled out of the classroom door." 

After the incident, paramedics determined Rogers had to be flown to a hospital for treatment. 

She said the incident blinded her in one eye, likely permanently. She also said she will also need reconstructive surgery on her eyelid. If Rogers is permanently blind, doctors may need to remove her eye, she said. 

"I am still believing God for a miracle for restoration of my sight," Rogers said. 

One student was taken into custody following the incident. School leaders confirmed Monday that the student "has been restricted to a specific location and cannot be on campus," according to a press release. The incident was referred to the Navarro County District Attorney’s Office and the Juvenile Probation Department and the school expects charges to be filed, the release states. 

Rogers joined the Corsicana district last semester, officials said. Her husband, Eugene Rogers, is in his first season as the Corsicana High School football coach. There is no estimate for when she will return to work, the district said in a press release. 

In her news conference Tuesday, Rogers emphasized the need to provide teachers with safety in the classroom.

"We should never have to fear being in a classroom with an aggressive student," Rogers said. "Everyone's protection is paramount. Overly aggressive students need services to meet their needs, but I do not believe the safety of other students and the educational staff should suffer."

Rogers also described the incident as a failure of Texas' education system as a whole, saying the state legislature's refusal to increase the per-student allotment at public schools puts students and teachers at risk, even amidst a $32 billion budget surplus. 

"It is important, to point out that the decision to continue funding Texas public schools at 2019 levels in 2024 is a choice," Rogers said. "The collateral damage of Governor Abbott's choices include but are not limited to academic struggles, student discipline struggles, teacher retention challenges, stifling program advancements, loss of student enrichment programs, lessening of needed student support, erosion of parent and external stakeholder trust, decreased student engagement."

In her statement, Rogers also opposed Abbott's stance on private school vouchers, saying that unlike private schools, public schools are required to accept any student regardless of abilities and disciplinary history. 

WFAA is reaching out to the governor's office for a response to Rogers' comments.

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