A teacher at Marist College Ashgrove, one of Brisbane's leading private boys' schools, has told the Supreme Court she was subjected to a 'culture of misogyny' after being surrounded by up to 300 students and pelted with food and drink. Victoria Sparrow alleges she suffered a 'serious psychiatric injury' as a result of the incident in the school playground.
Her barrister, Gerard Forde, submitted that the school allowed such a culture to 'develop and exist' and that at least three other female staff members had also made complaints about their treatment. The court heard that during a Zoom lesson in the Covid-19 pandemic, another teacher, identified by a pseudonym, was subjected to 'gross and offensive comments' described as sexist, demeaning and humiliating. In a separate incident, a student allegedly threatened a teacher and his family in the staff lunchroom, after which the teacher was stood down.
Ms Sparrow served a notice of claim for workers' compensation on 9 July last year. Her legal team is seeking additional documents from the school, arguing that not all relevant files, including meeting notes and emails, have been disclosed. Justice Patrick McCafferty adjourned the case to allow for a more specific list of disputed documents to be prepared.
In a statement, Marist College said it could not comment while the matter was before the court, but defended its 'culture of respect, inclusion and accountability'. The school said the incident occurred three years ago and was dealt with under its Student Behaviour Management Policy, and that it places strong emphasis on developing 'well rounded young men' who respect the dignity of all.
