Educators accused of hitting special needs student

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Two Aldine High School employees are charged with felonies for allegedly causing injury to a person with disabilities.

Taja Holly, 26, is a teacher assistant at Aldine Senior High School. Students know her as a physical education coach. According to court charging documents, Holly and substitute teacher Sandra Burton pushed and hit a 15-year-old boy with special needs. The boy suffered a broken leg and broken toe as a result.

Holly appeared in court Thursday morning with her attorney Prince Cartwright.

"It's just injury to a child, that's it, that's all that I have to say today," Cartwright said.

Parents and students who heard about the accusations are outraged.

Christian Hernandez is a junior at Aldine Senior High School.

"It doesn't seem like a good thing to do, I mean, not to anybody really," Hernandez said, "Especially a kid like that who really can't defend himself."

Parents want Holly to pay the consequences.

"A teacher's got to be better that that, they're there to teach," Roosevelt Pier said, "Not break bones and stuff."

The child suffers from a learning disability and autism. He is said to have the mental capacity of a two-year-old child.

Aldine Independent School District sent Eyewitness News the following statement in regards to the charges: