Mellissa Anderson is alleged to have slapped one of two 14-year-olds who attacked her 13-year-old daughter Summer outside Kaipara College in Helensville last Friday afternoon.
It has emerged that the alleged incident occurred as police questioned the 14-year-olds.
Anderson entered no plea and was remanded on bail when she appeared before Waitakere District Court yesterday.
College principal John Grant denied the matter was part of a bullying problem at the school.
"The matter is not school bullying, it is assault. Two girls gave into their impulses and committed an assault and an adult gave into her impulses and committed an assault.''
Mr Grant refused to comment on the cause of the incident but it is understood it may have been motivated by retaliation.
It is believed they were responding after Summer's boyfriend punched one of the girls' older brothers.
Summer suffered a black eye, welt on the side of her face and cuts to her eyelid in the incident and was given refuge by a nearby resident.
Anderson said on Monday that she arrived within 10 minutes and her motherly instinct took over on seeing her bleeding, distressed daughter.
Her lawyer John Edgar sought name and image suppression at yesterday's hearing.
Mr Edgar said Summer wanted to change schools and publicity could cause difficulty for her when enrolling or starting elsewhere.
"She is a young teenage girl who has been the victim of bullying and is in a vulnerable position as it is,'' he said.
Community magistrate Dianne Hale said she sympathised with the requests but ruled it was in the interests of "open justice'' to continue without suppression.
"Courts are open and fair for people to attend.''
Outside court, Anderson, dressed in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, declined to comment, wrapping a scarf around her face and jumping into a waiting car.
Mr Edgar did not respond to requests for comment and the police officer investigating the incident could not be reached.
Police sources said one of the 14-year-olds accused of attacking Summer is being dealt with by Youth Aid. Both are understood to be in CYF care.
All three students involved in the incident are understood to be staying at home while the incident is investigated.
Kaipara College board of trustees chairman Stanley Phillips said no decision had been made about how the school would deal with them.
"It's difficult - it wasn't on school grounds and we've got underage girls involved,' he said.
Board members had mixed opinions about whether the bullying was assault, said Mr Phillips, but those he had spoken to "consider it serious, as we all do''.
If the students are suspended by the principal, the board would meet for a suspension hearing within 10 days.
"We're not trying to sweep anything under the carpet, there's just a process that has to be gone through.''
Secondary Principals Association president Patrick Walsh said he didn't support parents confronting those who attacked their children but could understand their motivation.
"Parents get very distraught, very angry. It's most unfortunate. On the one hand you can appreciate the mother being concerned about her kid's safety but commiting assault ... is not something we would endorse.''
He was aware of several instances where parents had confronted their children's bullies and parents and supported Kaipara College's stance.
Chief Human Rights Commissioner David Rutherford said protecting children would prevent parents becoming frustrated.
"(Bullying) can have devastating consequences. on the victim's education, among other things,'' he said.
"In general violence is an issue we have to front up to as a country.''
- Abby Gillies and Hayley Hannan of APNZ
