Four juveniles and one adult were arrested after a 14-year-old girl was airlifted to a Houston hospital following an altercation at the school.
LIVINGSTON, TX — Five people have been arrested in connection with an assault at Livingston High School that left a 14-year-old girl hospitalized after she was flown to Houston for treatment, according to police and local news reports.
Livingston police said four of those arrested are juveniles. Authorities had not publicly identified the adult suspect or detailed the role each arrested person allegedly played in the incident as of Friday. The assault happened Wednesday at Livingston High School, where the district said several students were involved in an altercation.
The girl’s family identified her as Nataya Carter. Her relatives told Houston-area news organizations that they reviewed cellphone video showing the confrontation and believe she was attacked by other students. Police have not publicly provided a full account of what led to the incident or confirmed all of the family’s description of the confrontation.
Amber Gardner, Carter’s aunt, told KTRK that the teenager was repeatedly hit during the incident. Gardner said Carter struck a brick wall and later began having seizures. Carter was flown to a Houston hospital, where her family said she remained Thursday while doctors conducted tests. Her condition and a possible date for her release had not been publicly announced.
Livingston Independent School District acknowledged the altercation in a message to families. The district said students involved in such conduct would be held accountable. Another report citing the district said six students were involved in the incident and that a staff member was also injured but did not require transportation for medical treatment.
The district said it was working with the Livingston Police Department to address the incident through school disciplinary procedures and the legal process. It also said fighting, bullying, physical aggression and behavior that puts students or employees at risk would not be tolerated. Authorities have not publicly disclosed what criminal allegations or charges each of the five arrested people may face.
The circumstances surrounding the confrontation remain under investigation. Carter’s relatives have questioned how the situation was handled at the school and whether staff members could have intervened sooner. Those concerns have been reported by local media, but authorities have not announced findings about the school’s response.
A friend of Carter’s, Darral Banks, told KTRK that some of the students who were arrested had been trying to stop the violence rather than participate in it. Livingston police had not confirmed that account. The lack of publicly released details about each person’s alleged actions makes it unclear why each arrest was made.
The arrests mark the latest development in an incident that drew attention after Carter had to be transported by air from the Livingston area to Houston. Livingston High School serves grades nine through 12 and is part of Livingston ISD in Polk County. The district lists the campus at 400 FM 350 South in Livingston.
Police had not released the identities of the four juveniles or the adult suspect, and officials had not provided a detailed breakdown of possible charges. Carter’s family said she remained under medical care as doctors evaluated her injuries. The investigation into what happened and the actions of those arrested remained ongoing.
Author note: Last updated September 26, 2026.