A drama teacher has filed a lawsuit alleging she was ambushed by as many as 300 private schoolboys who pelted her with food and drink bottles while she was on playground duty. Victoria Sparrow, 37, claims the incident occurred at Marist College in Ashgrove, Brisbane's northern suburbs, three years ago.
Details of the alleged incident
According to court documents, Ms Sparrow says she was surrounded by 200 to 300 male students in the schoolyard. The boys began chanting and throwing food and drink, some of which struck her. She claims the attack was so traumatic that she suffered a serious psychiatric injury. The lawsuit is against the school's governing body, Marist Schools Australia Pty Ltd.
Allegations of school negligence
Ms Sparrow contends that the pelting incident constituted an act of assault resulting from the school's failure to maintain discipline and ensure a safe environment for teachers on playground duty. She also alleges that the college allowed a culture of misogyny to develop and persist. Ms Sparrow was previously employed at St Stanislaus College boys' school in Bathurst, where she was highly regarded.
Her barrister, Gerard Forde, submitted in court on Monday that at least three female staff members had made complaints about their treatment at the school. One female teacher claimed she was humiliated by numerous gross and offensive, sexist, and demeaning comments made by boys during a 2020 Zoom class amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Legal proceedings and affidavits
Mr Forde has filed an application to obtain documents, including file notes from school meetings. Madonna Spillane, a former long-time Marist staffer who left the school two years ago after 24 years of service, has filed an affidavit in the case. She claims that principal Michael Newman made those notes.
Ms Spillane left amid a staff exodus of 100 highly experienced teachers, department heads, and leadership figures in just one year. The school's Director of Public Relations, Bethany Halpin, issued a statement saying that at the time of the incident three years ago, the college reached out to all parents and the matter was dealt with under its Student Behaviour Management Policy. She added that Marist College Ashgrove is firmly committed to fostering a culture of respect, inclusion, and accountability.
Background on Marist College
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd is an alumnus of the prestigious college, where boarders pay up to $45,000 for tuition and boarding. Tuition fees for Years 11 and 12 are $18,710 per year, and full boarding is $26,370 per year. The case, Sparrow v Marist Schools Australia, returns to court in Brisbane on Friday before Justice Patrick McCafferty for a directions hearing.
