SAN ANTONIO ā Bites and scratches are part of the painful price Grace Zamarron has paid for her profession.
For months, KSAT Investigates has been reporting on the growing issue of teachers being hurt on the job by students. Over the last two school years, we found more than 4,000 injuries reported by educators in Bexar County.
While the bruises and scars have faded, the special education teacherās love for her students has strengthened.
This school year is her first as an adapted learning environment teacher at Evers Elementary School, but Zamarron said she began working there as a substitute teacher in 2021.
āThese kids donāt necessarily always get the love and care they need,ā Zamarron said. āTheyāre some of the most special students, not because theyāre special needs, but because they are so sweet. Theyāre so kind. They are so loving.ā
In February 2024, Zamarron said she was helping a student when she was injured.
āAll of her weight shifted onto my wrist and twisted it,ā she said. āSo, it was initially diagnosed as a sprain.ā
Zamarron said the sprain was, in fact, a torn ligament that required surgery.
āDo you blame the student at all?ā KSAT asked Zamarron.
āNo. She canāt control it,ā said Zamarron. āAnything these kids do, they canāt control.ā
The pain in her wrist continues to linger.
āItās been terrible, honestly,ā Zamarron said. Doctors told her the injury would get better after the surgery. Instead, it got worse.
Records show doctors gave her a laundry list of restrictions. She wasnāt allowed to use her right hand to list, grasp, squeeze, push or pull.
During the 2024-25 school year, Zamarron said she has missed school 17 times, with ten of those absences attributed to workersā comp appointments.
In March 2024, Northside ISD placed her on administrative leave. Zamarron believes that move was made in retaliation for the absences and complaints about not following the restrictions.
Zamarron resigned from her position, which she said she felt pressured to do.
āI just left my kids without knowing what was going on,ā Zamarron said. āI literally had to take my stuff and leave.ā
āDo you think the district has done enough to support injured teachers like you?ā KSAT asked her.
āThey havenāt,ā Zamarron replied. ā... It sends the message (that) they donāt care.ā
In a statement to KSAT, Northside ISD Assistant Superintendent for Communications Barry Perez said Zamarronās claims āare not a complete reflection of the situation.ā
Perez declined to comment further because of the ongoing investigation but said the district follows all relevant workersā compensation laws and procedures.
The special education teacher hopes that sharing her story could lead to changes in the district.
āI hope it gets the district to realize, like, āHey, maybe we are doing something wrong.āā Zamarron said. āLike, yes, these kids canāt control it, but the district should give us more resources to be able to help them.ā
She has since filed a grievance with the district to return to Evers Elementary.
āAll that and you still want to go back to the classroom?ā KSAT asked her.
āYes,ā responded Zamarron. āYeah, my parents think Iām insane for it, but Iām like, when you work with these kids on a day-to-day, youāll see why.ā
If you have experienced violence in the classroom, submit your responses to Daniela Ibarra at dibarra@ksat.com.
Daniela is an IRE 2025 Chauncey Bailey Investigative Reporting Fellow. This story is part of her year-long project focusing on teacher injuries by students.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
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