Family of Adelaide mum breaks silence over furious St Paul’s College classroom outburst video

An online fundraiser has been launched for a mother at the centre of a bullying furore who has now hired a lawyer.

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The mother of a woman who was filmed threatening a student in a private school classroom has started an online fundraiser to help the family pay legal fees.

Grandmother Brenda Robinson has told The Advertiser her daughter, a pregnant mother of five, has been seriously unwell since the incident at St Paul’s College on February 3.

In the footage, the mother – who Ms Robinson did not want to name – is seen swearing at year 8 students over a bullying incident involving her daughter, and threatening to slit one child’s throat.

The mother apologised via 7NEWS the following day, saying her family had tried “time and time again” to resolve serious bullying against her daughter and her outburst was “not who I am as a mother or as a person”.

The incident was reported to SA Police.

In her GoFundMe appeal, Mrs Robinson says her daughter and son-in-law have had to take time off work to support their children.

Four of the five siblings are of school age. None have returned to the Gilles Plains reception to year 12 campus since the classroom incident and it is understood the family is considering moving them to another school.

“None of the kids want to go back there. (But) they have to be educated,” an emotional Mrs Robinson said.

“They have every right to have an education like everybody else.”

A spokesman for the school said it “offers to provide learning support materials for all students who do not attend school”.

“The college wants students to have the chance to continue learning even if parents or caregivers decide that students should not attend,” he said.

“In the end, those decisions are left with parents and caregivers.”

The spokesman said the school “does not comment publicly on matters involving individual students”.

Mrs Robinson said the family had hired a lawyer and she wanted to help cover the legal fees.

“I’ve never done anything like this (public fundraiser) before. I just want to be able to help them,” she said.

“But I’m on a disability pension, I can’t help them (financially).”

Mrs Robinson said her daughter’s outburst was “out of character” and she had been “quite unwell” since.

St Paul’s College principal Patrick Harmer has previously said the school is providing support to students but would not comment further because of ongoing investigations.

“The safety and wellbeing of our students is of the utmost importance, and we are providing support to students who may have witnessed the incident,” he said in the wake of the footage emerging last week.

“We provide an environment where the safety and wellbeing of all is our highest priority.

“We will continue to ensure the best possible support for our students and staff during this time.”