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Parowan community devastated after beloved teacher dies from critical injuries

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PAROWAN, Utah — A Parowan community is devastated after a beloved teacher died from injuries suffered inside her own home.

“I feel like we’re going to feel that void because she was always just looking out for other people, and so kind,” said resident Kari Marsh.

Robin Whittle taught within the Iron County School District for 11 years, most recently as a first-grade teacher at Iron Springs Elementary.

“We’re deeply saddened by her loss,” said Shauna Lund with the Iron County School District. “We feel it as a small school district and we feel it as a whole school community when we lose someone.”

On Sunday, police said they responded to a medical call of a woman with critical injuries at Whittle's home. She was taken to the hospital but later died from her injuries.

“There’s more people in this town that have been impacted by her than we even know about,” added Marsh, who was Whittle’s friend and fondly recalled how Whittle helped take care of her kids when Marsh was sick. “But there’s been so many comments saying that she was a great teacher or she was a great friend. She was also a great leader. I think that’s hard for us to let her go.”

There are still many questions about Whittle's death that the community is asking – the main one is what happened to the teacher that led to her death.

“It’s just been so baffling to not know and to not have closure," said Marsh. "It’s been a struggle."

Police say an investigation into Whittle's incident is still ongoing and no cause of death has officially been given as they continue to figure out what happened.

Iron County School District said they have been keeping counselors at school for students and staff who need help processing this tragedy.

“Students did not come back to school until Wednesday, and on Wednesday we had additional therapists and counselors in the school, just so that students had somebody that they could go and talk to as well as faculty and staff members as they too were struggling with that loss."