This criminal case involves serious charges against a Cy-Fair ISD employee following the death of a disabled student. Donald Perkins, a behavioral specialist, faces felony charges for allegedly pushing a 16-year-old autistic student at Carlton Pre-Vocational Center. The student died after choking moments after the alleged incident. This case highlights critical issues around student safety and proper training for staff who work with disabled students in our Houston-area schools. Schools must protect all students, especially those with disabilities who may be more vulnerable. When staff allegedly use inappropriate physical force, it breaks the trust families place in our education system. This matters because thousands of Houston families have children with disabilities who need specialized support at school. We deserve schools where every child feels safe and supported. The case shows how surveillance video and police investigations work to hold school employees accountable when something goes wrong. Parents and community members can get involved by attending school board meetings to ask about safety protocols and staff training. Contact Cy-Fair ISD to learn about their policies for protecting students with disabilities. Advocate for better training programs that teach positive behavior support instead of physical intervention. Support organizations that work for disability rights and school accountability in our community.
A behavioral specialist at a Cy-Fair ISD campus has been criminally charged after allegedly pushing a disabled student who later died, according to court documents.
Donald Perkins, 50, has been charged with injury to a disabled person, a felony, Harris County court documents show. On April 23, Perkins allegedly pushed a 16-year-old autistic student to the ground, and the student ended up choking moments later, according to police investigators. The alleged incident took place at the Carlton Pre-Vocational Center, a specialized school for students with disabilities located northwest of Houston.
The student, which court documents described as "essentially non-verbal," was transported to Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital and later flown to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. According to court documents, the student was pronounced dead due to a "significant period of oxygen deprivation resulting in no brain activity."
At approximately 8 a.m. April 23, Cy-Fair ISD police officers responded to a report of a medical emergency involving a student.
According to court documents, Perkins told officers he had escorted the student off of a bus and to a classroom and that the student had fallen when entering the classroom. Perkins was escorting the student because the student had taken a piece of food from the bus driver and put it in his mouth, court documents show.
Police said that after speaking with Perkins, they reviewed surveillance video from the school and the bus and allegedly saw inconsistencies with Perkins' story.
"I observed at the 7:06:26 a.m. mark of the video, the defendant forcefully and deliberately push [the student] from behind," one of the investigating officers wrote in court documents. "The push was forceful and [the student] hit the ground with significant force."
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The student then went and sat down, but began acting erratically, and staff noticed that he appeared to be choking, according to court documents.
Perkins attempted to perform the Heimlich maneuver, but was unsuccessful, court records show.
In a statement to Houston Public Media, a spokesperson for Cy-Fair ISD said Perkins was placed on administrative leave following the incident and that the district is cooperating with law enforcement.
"We are devastated by the loss of one of our students. My most sincere prayers are with the family, and we grieve alongside them during this heartbreaking time," Cy-Fair ISD Superintendent Doug Killian said in a statement.
Perkins was set to be released from the Harris County Jail after posting a $30,000 bond on Friday, court records show.
A defense attorney for Perkins was not listed in online court documents as of Friday.
