Sunshine Coast parents accuse Baringa State Secondary School of horrific bullying culture

A group of parents is alleging a Sunshine Coast school has a horrific bullying culture where their disabled children are being bashed and subjected to relentless taunting by vaping bullies.

Sunshine Coast parents accuse Baringa State Secondary School of horrific bullying culture. Picture: Getty Images

A group of parents is alleging a Sunshine Coast school has a horrific bullying culture where their disabled children are being bashed and subjected to relentless taunting and abuse by vaping bullies who face no consequences.

Local families with students who attend or have previously attended Baringa State Secondary College are concerned that more needs to be done to address the issue of bullying at the school.

A spokesperson for the school and the department of education did not deny any of the horrific incidents in their media statement.

One family member said it was unbelievable what the disabled students were subjected to on campus.

“I have a younger sibling who’s on the spectrum, last year he ended up coming home with bite marks, black eyes, whip marks from sticks on his back, calling him fat,” they said.

“This year he’s learnt to stick up for himself, but the bullying has only worsened and they kept taunting him repeatedly until he completely loses it and they now suspended him for sticking up for himself.

The family member said online reviews had shared similar concerns about the school, and claimed that they had repeatedly asked the school what was being done to prevent the bullying incidents.

Baringa State Secondary School has been accused of having an horrific bullying culture. Picture - Facebook/Baringa State Secondary School.

Another parent said they were disgusted by how their autistic son was being bullied. She said she contacted the police.

“They (the bullies) taunt and use absolutely disgusting words, take other kids’ belongings and throw things at our kids until someone snaps and then the person defending themselves gets the punishment,” she said.

“They target the kids they know will explode after being taunted and taunted. It’s disgusting. Then our kids get in trouble for their reactions that shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

“The bullying didn’t take long to start. At first it started with food being thrown at him and in his hair to then leading to another kid biting him. He has come home with a bruised eye and welts on his back from being hit with sticks on his lunch break. His scooter has been taken after school and he has been chased.

“It’s now been two years of this and my son has started sticking up for himself. He’s stopped eating due to being called fat everyday and sits in his room when he’s home.

“Just last week he had a sensory item in his hand at school and the other kids took it from him and threw it around him taunting him with it while calling him fat. He’d had enough so he retaliated and fought back and has now been suspended.

Map of Baringa State Secondary College. Picture - Google Maps.

“Why are the bullies at this school allowed to taunt and pick on our kids with nothing but a warning?

“Where is the duty of care to our children?”

A Sunshine Coast mother alleged a group of older students had been bullying her son and his friends for quite some time.

“Each day they throw them to the ground, search their belongings,” she said.

“Dacking is at an all time high where the students like to pull pants and underwear down and film this happening then send it around the school.

“There’s a student who carries a knife in his pants daily.

“Over 80 per cent of the students vape including grade seven kids.”

She said her son and many other students were “thoroughly traumatised”.

“My heart’s broken,” she said.

Another Sunshine Coast mother said her son was also being bullied there daily.

“Disgusting isn’t it,” she said.

“The kids in my son’s class air-dropped a picture of his face on top of another student’s body who also gets bullied (a female) and nothing can be done cause they can’t work out where it comes from. My son’s also had his pants pulled down.

“I’ve absolutely had it with the way things are being handled at that school.”

She alleged she had contacted the school principal, the education minister and police after she claims the school also tried to suspend her bullied son for standing up for himself.

“I rejected their suspension and was told if I send my son they will call the police,” she said.

Publicly available online google reviews of the school showed other parents shared similar concerns and experiences about the school culture.

Parents have accused the school of taking no action against bullying. Picture - Getty Images.

“Legitimately a horrendous school. I regret ever sending my son there. He was bashed at least four times and that’s even after we went to the school multiple times and involved police,” one parent said online.

“This school is absolutely disgusting! People smoking marijuana in the bathroom, students vaping, breaking into toilet stalls, one time my daughter even found a white substance on top of the sanitary bins,” another parent said online.

A spokesman for the Baringa State Secondary College and department of education said they took “bullying very seriously and are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of every student”.

“Any concerns raised by students or families are investigated, actioned and extensive support provided to students involved,” the spokesman said.

“The school takes student safety very seriously and works to provide a safe, supportive learning environment for all students.

The school said they take all complaints seriously. Picture: Getty Images

“Any situation that threatens the safety and wellbeing of students, staff or others in our school communities is treated extremely seriously, and dealt with as a matter of priority in line with the school’s student code of conduct.

“The code explicitly addresses the school’s behaviour expectations of students and actions on preventing and responding to bullying and cyber bullying, along with actions taken when students are found to be using or in possession of illicit items like vapes.

“Within the code is a well-articulated Positive Relationship Policy that is shared with families at enrolment and each year with students at the college’s Embrace Week. The College also participates in National Day of Action against bullying, Are you OK? Day and other events that support the wellbeing of students and the broader school community.

“The department encourages any students, parents and carers to immediately report any cases of bullying or misconduct to their school principal in the first instance, or their closest Department of Education regional office.”

Originally published as Sunshine Coast parents accuse Baringa State Secondary School of horrific bullying culture