Waco ISD teacher assaulted student who broke a pencil: affidavit

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A Kindergarten teacher at J.H. Hines Elementary School was arrested Thursday after school police say she twisted the arm of a 5-year-old student behind his back and put her knee in his back after the boy broke a pencil.

Waco Independent School District police arrested Pamela Mitchell, 64, on an injury to a child count, a third-degree felony punishable up to 10 years in prison.

According to an arrest affidavit, school officers were notified by the Department of Family and Protective Services that a teacher’s aide reported a Jan. 8 incident involving Mitchell and the young student.

The aide reported that the boy broke a pencil while Mitchell was out of the room. When Mitchell returned to class, the aide told her what happened and said Mitchell “then went to the child and grabbed his arm twisting it behind his back and forced him out of a chair.”

Mitchell pushed the boy into a corner of the room and “used her knee and placed it in the center of the child’s back forcing the child in the corner,” the affidavit alleges.

“During the internal school investigation and CPS investigation, the child was interviewed and told the principal that Pamela Mitchell’s actions caused the child pain,” the arrest document states.

Mitchell remained in the McLennan County Jail Friday in lieu of $3,000 bond.

WISD spokesperson Jill Anderson said Mitchell started teaching at Hines in October 2025 and confirmed Friday that Mitchell has been fired. Mitchell was teaching while working toward her certification and worked previously as a substitute teacher, Anderson said.

“Waco ISD is committed to the safety and well-being of every student,” she said. “We take every incident that risks the safety of our students seriously and investigate every report thoroughly to ensure our schools remains safe, supportive environments.”

She said WISD officials are cooperating with authorities in the investigaton.

“The student has recovered and is free from injury,” Anderson said. “We recognize the gravity of this situation and remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the students in our care.”