HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – What was said to have started as a fight in a Physical Education class at Klein Oak High School ended with a coach being rushed to the hospital after being knocked unconscious.
Officials from Klein Independent School District said the student at fault is now in serious trouble.
The incident was caught on cell phone video.
Students told KPRC 2 the coach wasn’t even the target of the attack. Instead, they said he was trying to de-escalate a situation that seemingly turned even more violent.
A group of teens said the coach stepped in front of a student who was being charged at by another one of their classmates.
As the student was running full force towards the group, the coach stepped in and ended up getting knocked on the ground. His head then appeared to have slammed into the concrete ground.
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“I was really surprised [at] what happened, especially in our school district,” said Henry Lara who is a parent, disturbed by the news.
“These kids are out of control. Parents need to start being parents again,” said Jenny Lara, Henry’s wife.
Following Wednesday’s incident, Klein ISD sent the following statement.
“An employee sustained injuries today while intervening in an altercation between two students. During the incident, a student assaulted the employee, resulting in bodily injury. The employee is currently undergoing medical treatment. Felony charges have been accepted against the student who assaulted our employee in addition to the highest level of disciplinary actions according to the Student Code of Conduct, including expulsion. Additional charges may be pursued as the investigation continues. We have zero tolerance for this inexcusable behavior.”
The Laras said the incident points to a growing problem.
“A lot of these kids do not respect teachers anymore, it’s ridiculous,” Jenny said.
It’s unclear how the coach is doing right now, but students say he was“not good” and that at last check, he was still in the hospital.
As for the student accused in the altercation, additional charges may be pursued as the investigation continues.