A staff member at a Texas high school has died after he was injured during a reported incident involving a student. The employee “was attempting to redirect a student” at Brandeis High School on Feb. 7, and “sustained a head injury” after he “fell to the floor,” Northside ISD spokesman Barry Perez said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
Other members of the campus’ staff “were immediately on scene” and the employee was subsequently transported to a hospital, Perez added. The employee eventually succumbed to his injuries, according to ABC affiliate KSAT-TV and CBS affiliate KENS. He was 73.
In a joint statement obtained by PEOPLE, Superintendent Dr. John Craft and High School Principal Dr. Geri Berger identified the teacher as Alfred “Mr. Fred” Jimenez, “a valuable Northside family member since 2014.”
Mr. Jimenez worked as an instructional assistant in the campus’ Applied Learning Environment (ALE) classroom and would help students with moderate to severe cognitive disabilities meet their “specialized needs,” they added.
Craft and Berger offered their “heartfelt condolences” to the Jimenez family, whom they are “dedicated” to supporting “during this challenging time.” “The entire Bronco family is grieving his loss,” the school officials add. “His impact on the campus was far reaching and impacted students and staff both in and out of the classroom.”
Campus administrators and the Northside ISD Police are investigating the incident, Perez said. PEOPLE has reached out to police for comment. Counselors will be made available on campus, according to Craft and Berger’s statement.