School Safety Agent Vivian Samuels, who had been a Local 237 member for 24 years, received a full inspector’s funeral on Dec. 22, when the New York Police Department honored the first female peace officer to die in the line of duty. Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, who attended the service, was quoted as saying that Samuels’ untimely death Dec. 16, from a heart attack after being assaulted by a student, was “an unfortunate incident,” adding that “she was doing her job; doing what was requested of her by the principal.”

Despite frigid temperatures and a paralyzing citywide transit strike, nearly 2,000 people came to pay their respects, spilling out of the Wayside Baptist Church in Brooklyn, where Samuels and her two sons were active members of its Usher Board. In attendance were Local 237 Vice President Richard Hendershot; Secretary-Treasurer Gregory Floyd; Recording Secretary Patricia Stryker and several business agents. Also in attendance was Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Department of Education Chancellor Joel I. Klein. The church was a sea of blue uniforms with white-gloved safety agents and police officers applauding the rousing speakers who celebrated Samuels’ life during the Baptist Homegoing Service.

Gregory Floyd recalled his long friendship with Samuels, a shop steward for 11 years. “Vivian was a warm person, dedicated to the students and her job. She loved the idea of mentoring children,” said Floyd. “She was a peacekeeper, performing her duty.”

Officer Samuels carried out her final assignment at I.S. 390, a Brooklyn-based Middle School also known as Maggie L.Walker. She had been asked to escort an unruly student from a school dance. At around 5:50 p.m., Samuels was walking behind the student, a 12-year-old girl, who was flailing her arms and kicking, striking the agent at least once in the head, according to Commissioner Kelly.

After being struck, Samuels fell to the ground, but got up and complained of shortness of breath and chest pains. Colleagues rushed to her aid, but soon after, Samuels passed out and was taken by ambulance to Kings County Hospital Center, where she died of a heart attack. Her 12-year-old assailant was arrested and charged with harassment and resisting arrest. On hearing of the tragedy, Samuels’ family, including her two surviving sons, Irving Benjamin Jr. and Ronnique Lamel Benjamin, who are Baptist ministers, said they forgive the youth.

In a statement, International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa stood in solidarity with Local 237 President Carl Haynes in calling for the governor and state legislators to “act now to rectify inequities in the injury leave and disability benefits provided to peace officers.”

Hoffa noted that the New York State Legislature has recognized the risks faced by similar professions, such as corrections officers, police and firefighters, by granting three-quarters annual pay for those forced to retire due to job-related injury. Those titles also receive extended benefits with no charge to leave after assaults on the job. “This same respect has not been afforded to school safety agents.”

Since the 1998 merger with NYPD, Samuels is the second SSA to die in the line of duty.

Several speakers at Samuels’ funeral service shared their greatest respect with fond memories of her love for students, gospel music, and her big, infectious smile. Mayor Bloomberg recalled Samuels’ stellar performance on the job: She made several arrests and “took action” to save the tip of a child’s finger, when the sixth grader almost lost it in an accident. “Her name will always be active,” said her son, Ronnique.

Sgt. Isaac Jefferson, a school safety agent at Springfield Gardens H.S. with more than 17 years of service, watched the procession exiting the church and noted the “excellent turnout for school safety, and the respect” that was shown. “It goes back to the issue. We’re first in the line of fire,” said Jefferson. SSA Cindy Torres of Manhattan North Command said the service was “so beautiful you couldn’t be sad.”

The funeral ended with full military pomp, including long blue lines of officers and officials standing silently at attention outside the church as bugles and bagpipes played taps, a helicopter flew overhead, and pallbearers delivered Samuels’ casket to the waiting hearse, removed and folded the American flag, and handed it with pride to her sons.