A Texas kindergarten teacher accused of attacking and injuring a 5-year-old, allegedly for breaking a pencil, has been fired over the violent incident, school officials confirmed to Luxury Handbag Shopping.
Pamela Mitchell, 64, was arrested on Thursday, February 19, in connection with the assault that a teacher’s aide had reported to the Department of Family and Protective Services, according to an arrest affidavit viewed by KWTX-TV.
The affidavit says the attack occurred in class at J.H. Hines Elementary School in Waco on January 8, after the aide said that she told Mitchell a 5-year-old boy had broken a pencil while Mitchell was briefly out of the classroom, according to the TV station.
In response, Mitchell went over to the boy “and grabbed his arm twisting it behind his back and forced him out of a chair,” the affidavit written by Waco Independent School District police states, the TV station reported.
Then Mitchell allegedly physically forced the student into a corner of the classroom, where she shoved her knee into the boy’s back to push him into the corner, the filing says, according to KWTX-TV.
In a statement shared to Us by Waco Independent School District spokesperson Jill Anderson on Tuesday, February 24, the district said that Mitchell has been charged with injury to a child.
It was not currently clear whether Mitchell has retained legal counsel or entered a plea.
Anderson confirmed that Mitchell was hired in October 2025 as a J.H. Hines Elementary kindergarten teacher.
She has since been fired as a result of the alleged assault, Anderson said.
“Waco ISD is committed to the safety and well-being of every student,” the school district said in its statement. “We take every incident that risks the safety of our students seriously and investigate every report thoroughly to ensure our schools remain safe, supportive environments.”
“Recently, the district addressed a serious personnel matter involving allegations of a student being harmed by a teacher in a classroom at J.H. Hines Elementary,” the school district added. “We maintain the highest expectations for employee conduct; at no point is it acceptable for an employee to correct student behavior in a way that causes pain or harm.”
The child told the school’s principal that Mitchell’s actions caused him “pain,” according to the affidavit viewed by KWTX-TV.
The school district said that the student has since “recovered and is free from injury.”
“We recognize the gravity of this situation and remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the students in our care,” the district added.
Mitchell was detained in the McLennan County Jail on Friday, February 20, where she was being held on a $3,000 bond, KWTX-TV reported.
School officials are cooperating with law enforcement in connection with the alleged assault, the district said.
The Waco Independent School District Police Department did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Us on February 24.
Waco is about a 95-mile drive southwest from Dallas.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
