SHELBY, Ohio – Officials at a northern Ohio vocational school say a steer attacked a veteran instructor during a meat processing class, and students reacted quickly by closing a gate to block the animal and calling 911.

WJW-TV in Cleveland (http://bit.ly/x5dloJ) reported that that Bill Kucic was leading the 1,200-pound steer to be put down when it turned on him in a chute and flipped him into the air last week at Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Shelby.

The school’s superintendent said Kucic hit his head and suffered broken bones and cuts. He was taken to a Columbus hospital, where he remained in fair condition Thursday.

Investigators said the chute or students’ voices may have spooked the steer. It was later killed.

The school is considering changing how livestock are brought to slaughter there.