A Bayonne, New Jersey, teacher is being hailed as a hero after she recently risked her safety to protect a student from an attack by several of his peers. Cathy Hurley, a 56-year-old teacher at William Shemin Midtown Community School, saw the student outnumbered by a group of five and decided to intervene. Nearby security cameras recorded Hurley trying to prevent the violence as she walked to her parked car.
According to Hurley’s daughter, Frankie Sielski, her mother instinctively intervened, as she was “raised to stick up for the underdog.” She first attempted to talk the teens out of fighting, but when they ignored her, she stepped in physically, trying to push the attackers away. Eventually, Hurley lowered herself over the student, using her body as a shield to prevent further harm to him.
Following the incident, all five teens involved were charged with multiple crimes including assault, and the victim of their attack was taken to the hospital unconscious. Bayonne School District Superintendent John Niesz praised Hurley’s actions, saying she exemplifies the community’s values, while Sielski shared her pride in her mother, describing her as a reminder of the good in this world.
Source: GOOD NEWS NETWORK