ANNEXURE A
Eleventh Allegation: Reasonable Adjustment - Safe Environment and Protection from Bullying/Teasing/Assault - Section 5(2)
66. Mimi required a safe environment and protection from bullying/teasing/assault, comprising the reasonable adjustments set out in paragraphs 66.4 (a)-(u).
66.1 Mimi's disabilities impacted on her social interaction as set out in paragraph 61.1 hereof.
66.2 Mimi's disabilities, in and of themselves, made it more likely that Mimi would be a target for bullying.
PARTICULARS
The Applicant refers to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission finding of "significant and widespread" bullying of students with disabilities in Victorian schools in its "Held Back" Report dated 2012.
66.3 Mimi had been the target of bullying/teasing/assault for a significant period of time as set out below in paragraph 67 hereof.
66.4 Protection from bullying/teasing/assault contained the following elements, each constituting reasonable adjustments on their own:
(a) take reports of bullying of Mimi seriously;
(b) acknowledge that bullying of Mimi is unacceptable;
(c) develop and implement an active anti-bullying programme containing disability-specific bullying elements and apply that to all schools, including Mimi's, for her protection;
(d) track improvements to the collection of data, in the prevention of, and responses to, targeted bullying, including at Mimi's school in order that analysis of that data could assist Mimi;
(e) requiring teachers at Mimi's school to undertake specific training on identifying, preventing and responding to bullying based on disability;
(f) initiate clear report procedures at Mimi's school;
(g) have a formal Student Support Group meeting regarding the bullying;
(h) have a formal meeting with parents of the victim (namely Mimi) and the bullies;
(i) address whether the child (Mimi) is being bullied due to a disability, and arrange, in consultation with her parents, disability awareness training for students at her school;
(j) formally review effectiveness of her school's bullying response every time bullying is reported;
(k) provide formal updates to Mimi's parents regarding the management of bullying incidents;
(l) seek to identify and respond to patterns of bullying of Mimi;
(m) ensure proactive education at Mimi's school is put in place in order to prevent bullying based on disability;
(n) formal annual review of policy at Mimi's school;
(o) target those bullying Mimi and ensure the behaviour has stopped;
(p) formally document all reports of bullying in relation to Mimi;
(q) formal meeting with victim (namely Mimi) and her parents to identify safety procedures;
(r) establish with her parents whether counselling is required, and if so, arrange it;
(s) restorative justice meeting after discussion with Mimi's parents;
(t) amend Student Support Group guidelines and guidelines for individual learning plans to include consideration of proactive anti-bullying strategies for students with disabilities who are at risk of bullying, and then apply those guidelines to Mimi's bullying situation at her school;
(u) have a school anti-bullying policy which is provided to Mimi's parents.
67. Notwithstanding the matters set out at paragraph 8 herein, Mimi was not provided with a safe environment and protection from bullying/teasing/assault by way of the reasonable adjustments set out in 66.4:
PARTICULARS
The Respondent's staff, at the school, the regional office and Legal Division levels, were informed of the bullying/teasing/assault occurring on the following dates:
(a) 5 October 2016, involving students throwing mud at Mimi;
(b) 17 October 2016, involving students taking Mimi's food, laughing at her, teasing her, and putting mud on her school hat;
(c) 19 October 2016, involving a student teasing Mimi, Mimi running after her, and a group of girls forcing Mimi onto the ground, restraining her and sitting on her;
(d) 21 October 2016, involving a student destroying a "bug city" that Mimi had made;
(e) 4 November 2016, where Mimi had been excluded by students from rehearsing for a school talent show;
(f) November 2016, involving ongoing teasing from a student sitting next to Mimi, advised to the school on 22 November 2016, and exclusion;
(g) 22 November 2016, involving Mimi's teacher yelling at her and calling her a "liar" in front of the class;
(h) 16 December 2016, involving boys teasing Mimi and trying to expose her by pulling her swimming towel away from her;
(i) 19 December 2016, involving Mimi's parents finding a drawing of Mimi by another student, ridiculing her;
(j) February 2017, involving Mimi being yelled at and a student hitting her with a stick on areas where she had had a skin graft;
(k) February 2017, involving a student telling Mimi to ask a boy for sex, and students goading Mimi to say inappropriate things to others;
(l) March 2017, involving boys chasing Mimi, pulling on herclothing and spinning her around;
(m) 14 March 2017, involving a student allowing others to sign her cast, but not Mimi
(n) 15 March 2017, involving students teasing Mimi, pinning her to the ground and digging their fingernails into her arms;
(o) 21 March 2017, involving students holding a ball over Mimi's head so she could not reach it, and Mimi being surrounded by students, becoming a physical altercation involving Mimi
(p) 27 March 2017, involving a student refusing to speak to Mimi
(q) and further acts of bullying reported to the Respondent as set out in the particulars under paragraph 76.2.
68. Despite the notification to the Respondent's staff of the above incidents, and Mimi's parents' requests for urgent assistance for Mimi
(a) no structured social skills programme was provided to her;
(b) no formal assistance was provided to her to develop an alternative friendship group;
(c) on a number of occasions, Mimi was asked by IEPS staff to write apology notes to others, but received none;
(d) in March 2017, one of the main students who had instigated violence against Mimi was awarded "pupil of the week" by IEPS staff;
(e) the bullying/teasing/assaults did not cease;
no system or policy was put in place to address the bullying/teasing/assaults of Mimi.
69. The provision of the adjustments in 66.4 herein a safe environment and protection from bullying/teasing/assault constituted a reasonable adjustment, as:
69.1 they were available to be made;
69.2 they would not have caused the Respondent unjustifiable hardship;
69.3 the provision of the adjustments is was commensurate with the Respondent's obligations pursuant to:
(a) the Occupational Health & Safety Act;
(b) its own anti-bullying policies and stated approaches;
(c) its duty of care to students;
69.4 The provision of the adjustments would have protected Mimi from psychological and physical harm;
69.5 many of the reasonable adjustments were recommended by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission in response to findings that bullying was a significant and widespread problem for students with disabilities in Victoria.
70. The failure to provide Mimi with the reasonable adjustments in 66.4 herein a safe environment and protection from bullying/teasing/assault had the effect that Mimi was, because of the disabilities set out in paragraph 7 hereof, treated less favourably than students:
(a) without disabilities or without Mimi's disabilities;
(b) who were being subjected to bullying, teasing and assault;
(c) who had been physically and psychologically injured at the hands of other students;
(d) who were already vulnerable to bullying;
(e) whose parents had contacted the school on multiple occasions asking for urgent assistance to provide a safe environment and protection from bullying/teasing/assault;
(f) attending a government school;
would be treated, being circumstances not materially different.
71. A student without a disability would have:
(a) had bullying of themselves taken seriously;
(b) received the benefit of relevant departmental policies, procedures and guidelines designed to support him or her as a victim of bullying;
(c) benefited from the implementation of policies, procedures and guidelines created by the Respondent in direct response to recommendations by statutory authorities finding flaws in the manner in which they were treated in regard to bullying;
(d) had the reasonable adjustments applied to/provided to them.
PARTICULARS
The Applicant refers to paragraphs 78 (d), (e) and (f) below
72. The reasonable adjustments were not provided because of Mimi's disabilities.
73. In the premises, the Respondent unlawfully discriminated against Mimi on the ground of her disabilities by failing to provide her with the reasonable adjustments set out in 66.1 herein of a safe environment and protection from bullying/teasing/assault, thereby limiting/denying her access to the benefits set out in paragraphs 11.2 and 11.3 hereof, and the Respondent thereby breached section 22(2)(a) of the DDA.
Fourteenth Allegation - Less Favourable Treatment - Refusal to apply policies and procedures on the basis of disability, Section 5(1)
76. The Respondent has put in place various policies and procedures, which were and are in existence and operative throughout the relevant period, and which were and are designed to protect students from bullying, harassment and mistreatment, which it failed to apply to Mimi, as follows:
76.1 The cornerstone of all internal policies and procedures, and various anti- bullying programmes put in place by the Respondent, was that bullying should be taken seriously and acted upon, and that victims should receive support.
76.2 Throughout the relevant period:
(a) reports by Mimi of bullying were not taken seriously by school staff, or believed at all.
PARTICULARS OF REPORTS
• in February/March 2015 on several occasions verbally to teacher Sally Calvert;
• in the Ivanhoe East Primary School communication book 2 and 3 March 2015;
• on or about 3 March 2015 verbally to aide Prue Jeffries;
• 27 July 2015 by email to Ms Sally Calvert;
• 29 July 2015 in the Ivanhoe East Primary School communication book;
• 6 October 2016 verbally to Ms Susan Coward;
• 17 October 2016 by email to Ms Susan Coward;
• 19 October 2016 verbally to Ms Susan Coward;
• 21 October 2016, verbally to Ms Justine Mackey;
• 3 November 2016, by email to Ms Susan Coward;
• 22 November 2016, verbally to Ms Susan Coward;
• 23 November 2016, verbally to Ms Susan Coward;
• 23 November 2016, by email to Ms Susan Coward;
• 19 December 2016, by email to Ms Justine Mackey;
• 9 February 2017, verbally to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 3 March 2017, verbally to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 8 March 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 15 March 2017, verbally to Ms Humaira Chaudhry and Ms Kaylene Adams;
• 16 March 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 17 March 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 20 March 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 21 March 2017, by email to Ms Kaylene Adams;
• March 2017, by email to Mr Christopher Thompson, Regional Director and Ms Lucy Guthrie, Legal Division;
• 27 March 2017, in a meeting attended by Ivanhoe East Primary School staff;
• 28 March 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 29 March 2017, verbally to Ms Kaylene Adams;
• 30 March 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 6 April 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• May 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 22 June 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 22 June 2017, by email to Mr Christopher Thompsand the Legal Division;
• 26 June 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 25 July 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 11 August 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 20 September 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 9 and 11 October 2017, in the Ivanhoe East Primary School Communication Book;
• 1 November 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
• 20 November 2017, by email to Ms Justine Mackey;
• 28 November 2017, by email to Ms Humaira Chaudhry;
(b) the bullying of Mimi continued unabated;
(c) consequences for those individuals accused of bullying, if they occurred, were insufficient to change the behaviour of such individuals;
(d) Mimi was requested to undertake behaviour analytical treatment for her treatment of others, in the absence of those individuals accused of bullying being asked to do so;
(e) Mimi failed to receive support/adequate support, by reason of sub
Paragraph (a) directly above.
76.3 The treatment described in paragraph 76.2 above does not comply with any bullying or harassment policies or procedures the Respondent has had, or does have.
77. The treatment of Mimi outlined in paragraph 76-76.3 hereof constitutes less favourable treatment within the meaning of s.5(1) of the DDA, as:
(a) the treatment made Mimi feel anxious, excluded and depressed;
(b) the treatment resulted in the ongoing bullying of Mimi.
78. The grounds upon which Mimi was treated less favourably by the Respondent are that, during her enrolment at IEPS when the segregation occurred:
(a) Mimi had the disabilities set out in paragraph 7;
(b) the Respondent was aware of such disabilities;
(c) the Respondent knew that as a student with a disability Mimi needed, more than students without disabilities but at least equally, the protection of any bullying policies, procedures and programmes;
(d) students without disabilities received the benefit of the Respondents policies, procedures and programmes;
(e) students without disabilities accused of bullying were not requested through their parents to undergo behaviour analytical treatment;
(f) students without disabilities who report bullying are believed, and the reports taken seriously.
79. The treatment of Mimi by refusing to apply the anti-bullying policies, procedures and guidelines to her, was because of her disabilities.
80. In the premises, by failing to apply and/or adhere to bullying and harassment policies, procedures and guidelines, the Respondent treated Mimi less favourably than the Respondent would treat a student:
(a) without disabilities attending the school;
(b) reporting bullying and harassment over a lengthy period of time;
(c) requiring counselling as a victim of bullying;
(d) needing support to obtain and maintain successful relationships with peers;
(e) attending a government school;
(f) to whom it would have applied the relevant policies and procedures.
being circumstances not materially different.
81. In the premises, the Respondent unlawfully discriminated against Mimi by not applying its bullying and harassment policies, procedures and guidelines, denying her the benefits described in paragraphs 11.2 and 11.3 hereof, contrary to s.22(2)(a) of the DDA.