Teacher attacked at bus stop known as a good Samaritan

Joseph Skillings had always made it a point to teach his students at Ballard's Adams Elementary School to stand up for themselves and others against bullies.

Earlier this month, the longtime Seattle elementary teacher proved that he wasn't just lecturing when he tried to call 911 to report a woman being harassed at a Capitol Hill bus stop by a man who police said then punched Skillings in the back of the head.

Skillings, who crashed into the pavement, suffered serious head injuries in the Jan. 13 assault.

When people at the school heard that Skillings, 52, had been attacked while trying to help a stranger, they weren't surprised he had played the part of a good Samaritan.

"That's really a core ethic of his," said Adams Elementary Principal Anne Johnson, who said he has always made it a point to teach his students social skills and respect in the classroom.

Barb Nielsen, the former principal at Adams who hired Skillings as a teacher there in the early 1990s, agreed.

"It is no surprise that he would rally if he saw somebody in a position that he obviously found this person in," Nielsen said.

"He absolutely instills in kids and his colleagues to stand up for what is right," she said. "I think everyone is proud of him."

Skillings — known for taking students on field trips to the opera, ballet and museums and coming up with creative strategies to get kids excited about learning — was last year named the school's Teacher of the Year.

Recently, Adams Elementary observed a moment of silence and used Skillings' situation to teach students to stand up and do the right thing, Johnson said.

"It has really been a teachable moment," she said.

One of Skillings' close friends, Will Anderson, of Seattle, set up a Web site to update family, friends and students on Skillings' progress and tell his story.

The site is filled with thoughts from supporters who have been touched by what they describe as bravery and heroism.

"His impact before and after the assault remains positive and profound," Anderson said. "He inspires people and sets an example."

Messages on the site express love and support, well wishes and gratitude.

"You are not only a hero to your kids at Adams, but to the community you live in," one person wrote.

Anderson, who recently reported that Skillings was walking outside his hospital room, said family and friends are "guardedly optimistic" about his recovery. Harborview Medical Center listed him in stable condition Saturday.

"It's hard to be optimistic when he has such a severe injury, but his doctors are optimistic that he is going to have a complete recovery," said his mother, Irma Skillings.

"I'm a nurse, so I know the ramification of head injuries," she said. "I am simply angry that it happened and just praying every day, all day, that he will get a full recovery. The entire recovery is a big concern because he is a teacher."

How long he is in the hospital is "all up in the air" at this point, she said.

It is unclear when Skillings will be able to return to school, Johnson said.

Police are looking for the person who attacked Skillings. The Seattle Police Department has released a sketch and describe him as a slim black man in his late 40s, between 5 feet 9 and 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing a black knit cap and black coat with a white stripe down the sleeve.

For information about Skillings, go to: http://caringbridge.org/visit/josephskillings.

Christina Siderius: 206-464-2112 or csiderius@seattletimes.com