'I've literally been in survival mode since the incident,' says admin assistant in Nova Scotia
A Nova Scotia school worker’s ongoing struggle after a violent workplace incident is highlighting for HR professionals the risks of gaps in compensation, accommodation and trauma-informed support for injured employees.
Angela Light, an administrative assistant at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, N.S., says she remains unable to return to work more than three years after being stabbed by a student on March 20, 2023.
“I’ve literally been in survival mode since the incident,” Light told CBC News.
The attack began when Light heard a “blood-curdling scream” from the vice-principal’s office and rushed to help. She saw a student assaulting vice-principal Wayne Rodgers and attempted to intervene. In the struggle, Light was stabbed in the back.
The student, who was 15 at the time, later pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced to two years of probation in 2024 under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, CBC reported.
Physical, mental challenges
Light has not returned to work since the incident and says she lives with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and ongoing physical effects, says the CBC.
“When I was wheeled out that morning on the stretcher, my career ended,” she says.
Before the attack, Light worked two jobs and earned more than $81,000 annually. Now, she receives about $42,000 a year through Nova Scotia’s Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB), according to documents reviewed by CBC.
Light also alleges her employer, the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE), stopped pension contributions and froze her wages while she was off work.
HRCE declined to comment in detail, telling CBC that “all human resource situations are nuanced and confidential,” citing ongoing legal matters.
CBC reported that Rodgers, who was also injured, continues to receive full salary and benefits, though he is covered under a different union agreement.
Previously, a B.C., lawyer who stole nearly $800,000 from his client, then killed him and smuggled his body out of a downtown office building, was convicted of first-degree murder.
Concerns over workers' comp
Light said she has faced barriers accessing treatment through the WCB system, including restrictions requiring care from approved providers. At times, she has relied on personal insurance for therapies.
A WCB spokesperson told CBC the board provides access to “evidence-based treatments” through an approved network, but declined to discuss Light’s case.
Light said she has sought accommodations, including a work-from-home arrangement, but alleges these were denied. She does not feel ready to return to an in-person school setting.
“They have me pigeonholed,” she told CBC.
Light continues to pursue treatment and is speaking publicly about her experience. “It’s not just the physical and mental wounds of that day,” she said. “It’s the whole process you’re drug through afterwards … it’s insane,” according to CBC.
Here are some numbers that paint the picture of the safety of school workers in Canada:
