Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., will miss his Dystopian Visions course at GW this week while he recovers from an assault at his Kentucky home Friday, a University spokesman said.

A graduate assistant will teach Paul’s course this week, with “input” from Paul and his staff, University spokesman Jason Shevrin said.

“We expect Sen. Paul to be back on campus in the near future and wish him a speedy and full recovery,” he said in an email.

Paul sustained five broken ribs and a bruised lung Friday after he was reportedly tackled from behind while mowing the lawn outside his Bowling Green, Ky. home. Aides said it wasn’t clear when he would be able to return to work in the Senate, but recovery could take several months, The Washington Post reported.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he expects Paul will be able to return to D.C. next week.

Rene Boucher, Paul’s next-door neighbor, was charged with a misdemeanor count of assault in connection with the incident. The exact motive behind the incident is still unclear, but the two had a long-running dispute about landscaping and lawn care, according to a New York Times report.

Boucher’s lawyer said in a statement that the incident was “a very regrettable dispute” that most would regard as “trivial.”

Paul is teaching a course in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences this semester focused on the history of dystopian attitudes and how they relate to current events and political debates. Some faculty criticized the course when it was announced last spring, saying Paul wasn’t qualified to teach a college course.