Video shows New Jersey teacher protecting student from teenage attackers
BAYONNE, N.J. — A New Jersey educator saw a student being attacked by a group of other teenagers and used her own body to shield him.
It happened outside Shemin Midtown Community School in Bayonne on Tuesday.
5 teens arrested in attack outside Bayonne school
Dramatic video shows a boy being stomped, punched and dragged by a group of teens. Onlookers stand around and watch, but Cathy Hurley did the opposite.
Hurley tries putting her arms out, but is ignored. Then, the special education teacher places her body on top of the victim, also covering his head to protect him from further harm.
"It's not really until she kind of takes his head into her arms that there's any type of reaction or stopping from the attack," said Hurley's daughter Frances Sielski.
Police say the victim was unconscious at one point.
"The fact that this poor child was really brutally attacked just has her very upset," Sielski said.
Within two days, police arrested five teenagers and charged them with aggravated assault, endangering an injured victim and rioting.
"It's really a vicious attack. I can't imagine you know, just standing there," Sielski said.
"She acted as an angel"
So far the school superintendent hasn't responded to CBS News New York's request for comment, but Sielski says she isn't surprised her mother used her body as a shield, saying the former EMT and devoted grandma has always stood up for the underdog.
"It was instinctual. She would absolutely jump in and do whatever is necessary, obviously, to save someone's life," Sielski said. "I just think she acted as an angel in this instance and it's those people that are really ordinary Joes that end up saving and making the biggest impact."
Hurley's daughter says her mom returned to work the following day to tend to her students, and although she's getting a lot of attention from this incident, her daughter says she's laying low because what she did was a no brainer.
