JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A school vice principal who tried to break up a fight between two students was beaten and suffered a nervous breakdown. Despite this, Israel’s National Insurance Institute of Israel initially refused to recognize her as a workplace injury victim until the labor court ruled otherwise.

The incident took place about two years ago at an elementary school in southern Israel. A fight broke out between two students, and the student being attacked fled and hid in the vice principal’s office. She tried to prevent the attacking student from entering the room, and during the confrontation he assaulted her as well, kicking and punching her while cursing at her. Additional staff members who were present tried to help and calm the student, but without success.

“The student struggled with the vice principal and screamed that he wanted to kill the student hiding in her office,” one of the school’s educators recounted. “He continuously kicked the office door, and kicked and shoved her. We tried to help the vice principal, and together we managed to get the student into an adjacent room.”

While holding the office door shut and trying to block the student, she managed to call his mother and urgently ask her to come to the school. Only after the mother arrived was she able to calm her son down.

The vice principal, who had more than 20 years of experience in education, began suffering from chest pains, trembling, and crying. She was taken to the emergency room, where doctors performed a catheterization procedure. Following the incident, she also began receiving psychiatric treatment.

A short time later, she asked the National Insurance Institute to recognize the case as a workplace accident, but her request was denied. “It was not proven that an unusual traumatic event occurred during and because of work, which caused the psychological injury that developed,” the decision stated.

She was forced to file a lawsuit in labor court through attorney Elishar Feingersh of the law firm Markman Tomshin & Co.. Following the lawsuit, her condition was recognized as a workplace accident.

“Violent incidents can lead to psychological harm and even trigger illnesses such as strokes, heart attacks, and even diabetes,” attorney Feingersh explained.

The vice principal said that she had recently encountered many violent incidents, but that this case was the breaking point. “After decades in the education system, during which I viewed my work as a life mission, I never imagined that my attempt to protect a helpless student would lead to the end of my professional career,” she told Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth.

“When I stepped between the two students to prevent a disaster, I found myself under a violent and brutal attack by a young student who directed unimaginable rage at me. The physical injuries passed, but the emotional trauma left deep scars that prevent me from returning to the classroom. My sense of security completely collapsed, and the realization that I had no protection in the place that was supposed to be the safest forced me, with enormous heartbreak, to leave the profession and the students I loved so much.”