A New Jersey teacher protected a teenage student from a ruthless assault with her body after his assailants would not listen to her cries to stop, according to witnesses.
56-year-old Cathy Hurley, who works as a special education teacher at William Shemin Midtown Community School, first became concerned after a group of teens rushed past her while she was walking to her car on Tuesday afternoon.
Her concerns were vindicated when she realized that the group had been on their way to assault another boy, throwing him on the ground before brutally assaulting him, reported WABC.
Hurley first ran over and began screaming at the assailants, informing them that she had called the police, to no avail. In a desperate attempt to stop the assault, Hurley threw herself over the boy in order to shield him with her own body.
"As a teacher, she was worried about putting her hands on a student and possibly losing her job. She was screaming 'I called the cops! I called the cops!' thinking that would get the kids to stop," explained Hurley's daughter, Frankie Sielski.
"My mom said 'I don't know why they didn't kick me.' She was like, 'Why did they stop?' Her thought process was like 'these kids don't even know I am in here.' So she just decided to lay on the kid," she continued.
The attackers, who fled the scene after Hurley attempted to shield their victim, have been identified and arrested. They have been charged with aggravated assault, endangering an injured victim and other related offenses.
Hurley has been hailed a hero by her local community for her actions, with school administration and school district officials commending her bravery.
"She was the only adult to enter the situation, trying to pull the attacker off the victim and finally laying on top of the student, to use her body as a shield. Her dedication to our students, her motherly instincts and her Hudson County fearlessness tie for a close second to her kind and compassionate heart," said Shemin school administration in a letter to staff.
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