The Teachers Are Blowing Their Whistles!

In 2000, enraged father Dean Funch smashed the head of a Mackay North State High School deputy principal against a brick wall after his son was chastised for smoking.

Andrew Knott of Macrossans, the Queensland Teachers' Union solicitors, has written a really useful article : Assault, abuse, stolen property - what should you do?

The Queensland Teachers' Journal : 13 November 2009, Volume 32 number 8 page 27.

In brief:

If you are abused by a child, parent, teacher or principal, document the evidence as soon as possible.

Write a statement yourself.

Ask all adult witnesses to prepare a statement.

A statement should be an objective description of what the witness saw and heard.

No witness should read a statement written by another witness.

Witnesses should describe exactly and in detail what they saw and heard.

For example - was the person's hand clenched or open?

Each witness statement should be signed and dated.

The date of the incident that is being described should be made clear in the statement.

Keep a copy of all statements, documents and letters.

Student witnesses - ask an administrator to ask the student to write their version and to provide you with a copy.

If you have been assaulted or abused in a way that might affect your health, go to your own doctor as soon as possible.

Ask the doctor to give you a full examination.

And for a detailed record of all possible impacts of the assault or abuse on your physical or mental health.

Ask your doctor to write a report.

Lodge a WorkCover claim, even if it is only for a very small amount.

This is very important.

You will be in a much better position to recover workers compensation in the future if you have already lodged a claim and had it accepted.

The QTU should help you to draft and present your WorkCover claim.

A full copy of the article can also be found in the November 2009 edition of The Independent Voice, a QIEU publication. Scroll down to page 22.