Elizabeth Shea worked for the Jersey City schools since 1966.
On December 15, 1995. Elizabeth Shea was walking to pick up her students in the courtyard of PS 30. Something she has done since 1966.
As children have been doing for decades, children were running in the courtyard. They ran into her. Not deliberately but accidentally. Pulling and tugging on her coat causing her to lose her balance from this and went flying up into the air...doing a "pratfall".
She landed and hit everything imaginable from her head to the soles of her feet.
The principal came over and said
"She fell ?" He ordered the guard to "get her out of here".
Principal didn't call the medical officer...ELIZABETH WAS NOT TRYING TO GET UP BECAUSE SHE WAS TOO HURT TO MOVE...principal and the guard simply began pulling her up by her wrists. As she begain to scream, begging them not to do this, they let her go and she dropped 4 feet back onto the frozen courtyard. Again hitting everything from her head to her heels.