Mother urges MISD to educate students and staff after daughter’s retinal injury from laser pointer

A Midland parent told the school board Sept. 16 that her daughter suffered two retinal injuries after peers shined laser pointers at her, and she urged district leaders to increase awareness and change campus responses to such incidents.

Toni Tarango described an incident in 2023 when her daughter was struck in the left eye by a laser pointer while in elementary school, which a retina specialist later diagnosed as a retinal burn. The specialist performed an injection on Dec. 4, 2023, and a second injection on April 1, 2024. Tarango said her daughter's vision briefly returned to 20/20 on Jan. 20, 2025, but the same eye was struck again two weeks later in seventh grade at Abel Junior High.

"When a laser beam is directed into your eye, even for just a second, the intense focused light can burn the retina," Tarango told the board, describing tests and the specialist's diagnosis. She asked trustees to direct campuses to treat laser incidents seriously, document them, notify parents and encourage medical evaluation; she also asked for district education about the medical and legal consequences of laser use.

Board members expressed sympathy and asked Tarango to lead or participate in future awareness efforts; President Brandon Hodges and others said staff would follow up and review the retinal scans she offered to share. The board noted the MISD student code of conduct prohibits laser pointers, but Tarango and trustees said stronger education and consistent documentation would help prevent future injuries.

The board did not take immediate policy action but asked staff to follow up with Tarango and to consider placing the topic on a future agenda for a broader discussion of campus safety and incident documentation.