ROSENBERG, Texas - A local middle school teacher attempted suicide inside a classroom while school was in session on Monday, according to Lamar CISD.
Jordan Halane, a Fine Arts teacher at Wessendorff Middle School, was found unconscious in his classroom by another staff member.
The school's principal, Sonya Sanzo, sent a letter out to parents on Monday detailing what happened.
After the teacher was found, medical personnel immediately responded, Sanzo said. Halane was taken to Oak Bend Medical Center where he later passed away.
As the situation unfolded, students were placed on a hold and remained in their classrooms. The children were unaware of the medical emergency, Sanzo said.
She also said Halane's classroom is located in a portion of the campus that was not directly accessible to students.
Students continued on a slightly modified schedule and were unaware of the situation. Classes dismissed at the end of the day as normal.
Sanzo said in the email the school felt parents should know what happened ahead of time, before their children returned home from school that day.
"Our focus is always on the safety and well-being of our students. We felt that you should be aware of the situation in case your child comes home with questions or concerns." Sanzo wrote in the email.
Crisis counseling teams were available on campus all day Tuesday and will respond as needed throughout the week.
The middle school is part of Lamar Consolidated Independent School District and is located at 5201 Mustang Avenue in Rosenberg.
Below is the full email sent to parents from the principal on Monday:
Dear Wessendorff Parents,
We are saddened by the death of a member of our Wessendorff family. Earlier today, Jordan Halane, a Fine Arts teacher was discovered alone and unconscious in his classroom by another staff member and medical personnel immediately responded. The teacher was transported to Oak Bend Medical Center where he later passed away.
During the medical emergency, students were placed on a hold and remained in their classrooms. Students were unaware of the medical emergency, which occurred in a portion of the campus that was not directly accessible to students.
Unfortunately, we believe it was the teacher’s intent to harm himself. There were no weapons on campus and students were never in any danger. Following the hold procedure (where students remain in class), there was minimal disruption to the instructional day.
Students continued on a slightly modified schedule and were unaware of the medical response. Classes dismissed at the end of the day to ensure all students had safe transportation and supervision available.
Crisis counseling teams will be available on campus all day tomorrow and will respond as needed throughout the week.
If you have any questions about how to help your child deal with the grieving process, please feel free to contact the Wessendorff Middle School administration. Students and staff can also call the Texana Crisis Talkline at 1-800-633-5786, a 24-hour crisis hotline, to talk about any concerns that they may have. This is an anonymous and confidential service provided for the Lamar CISD community.
Our focus is always on the safety and well-being of our students. We felt that you should be aware of the situation in case your child comes home with questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Sonya Sanzo, Principal
