ROUND ROCK, Texas — Charges have been filed against a former Round Rock ISD teacher accused of intentionally tripping a nonverbal student.
According to an affidavit, Lynn Shin was charged with misdemeanor assault of an elderly or disabled victim following an incident at Round Rock Head Start’s campus in September.
A witness, identified as a grandparent volunteer with the program, told police that the student was attempting to calm himself down while running around the classroom. She also said that no other students were in danger while the student ran because they were in their “sections.”
As the student ran, Shin told the student not to run and to follow the rules. The witness said she allegedly heard Shin say, “I swear if that kid runs past me one more time, I’m going to trip him,” but didn’t believe Shin would actually trip the student.
According to the affidavit, Shin stuck her left foot out, causing the student to fall and cry. When the witness confronted Shin about the incident, Shin said the student was “alright.”
After the incident
The student’s mother told investigators that her son had bruises on his knees after picking him up from school, but wasn’t aware of the incident until a few days later.
The mother also said she noticed her son’s behavior had changed and that he was “dysregulated” after being picked up from school. The next day during therapy, she said her son began crying uncontrollably and was inconsolable.
According to the affidavit, the student has severe “Level 3” autism and cannot advocate for himself.
During the investigation, authorities learned Round Rock ISD hired Shin after spending a year teaching in Leander. Shin said the position in Leander was too stressful and wanted to teach preschoolers again.
Shin said the student is “pretty verbal” and aware of what he’s doing, but regretted her alleged actions and that the incident caused her a lot of stress. The affidavit said Shin resigned after the incident because she felt bad, noting it was a “wake-up call and that the job may be too stressful.”
KVUE contacted Round Rock ISD about the incident but did not receive a response since the district’s offices are closed for the holiday break.