A section of ceiling in an auto technology classroom at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School fell at 10:50 this morning, hitting a teachers aide in the shoulder.
The piece of ceiling fell as construction workers removed equipment from the roof, which was replaced over the summer.
No students were in the classroom, and the aide, who suffered minor injuries when the ceiling section ricocheted off a desk, was taken to Lawrence General Hospital for observation, said school Superintendent William DeRosa.
The area surrounding the affected classroom was sealed off.
"No students or staff members will be allowed in the area until the safety of the area is confirmed by structural engineers," DeRosa said this afternoon. "Also, no further construction will occur during school hours."
The roof at the school was replaced this summer, and workers were completing a punchlist, a contract document signaling the completion of a project, when the section of ceiling fell.
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