Regional Qld teacher makes bid for job after guilty of assaulting own child

A regional Queensland teacher has applied to have his employment reinstated after he pleaded guilty to beating a child.

A regional Queensland teacher who used excessive violence to discipline his own primary school-aged child pleaded guilty to committing the domestic violence crime before a Toowoomba court in May 2024.

A regional Queensland teacher who used excessive violence to discipline his young child pleaded guilty to committing the domestic violence crime before a Toowoomba judge.

After disclosing the charges to the Department of Education, the teacher, who cannot be named to protect his child’s identity, was suspended without pay and has since submitted an application asking for his employment to be reinstated.

The man fronted Toowoomba District Court and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm.

The court heard the incident occurred in 2022 when the primary school-aged boy was visiting his dad after the child threw a tantrum about being unable to use a computer.

The Queensland teacher leaving the Toowoomba courthouse in May 2024 after pleading guilty to a domestic violence crime.

Crown prosecutor Abby Kong said the man grabbed the boy by the wrist and hit his bottom multiple times with such force that a large bruising emerged.

When the child returned to his mother, the court heard he did not say anything until she asked about a bruise on his wrist, which was also caused as a result of the beating.

The court heard the child’s distressed mother reported the incident to police after consulting family and friends.

During an interview with police, the man denied hitting the child saying he was prone to bruising, and when asked if he used physical discipline he responded, “no comment,” the court heard.

Ms Kong said the assault had a profound impact on the boy who struggled with his schooling following the incident and feared being hit again.

Prosecutor Kong said given the teacher may have an issue with anger, a conviction being recorded was within range so future employers were aware of any potential risk.

The Toowoomba Court House.

However, Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC said the man had worked as a teacher for more than a decade with no issue, he did not pose a risk to students, and the recording of a conviction was not warranted.

Judge Horneman-Wren told the man he should know better than anyone, that if a child’s schooling is negatively impacted it could have a detrimental effect on their marks and future aspirations.

He said coming before the court would have been a humiliating experience for the otherwise upstanding community member, noting the school would have been rife with rumours following his suspension.

Judge Horneman-Wren said told the man it was clear he ‘lost it,’ in the heat of the moment, and used an unreasonable amount of force to discipline the child.

He said the “aberrant behaviour” was unlikely to happen again, and endeavoured to structure a sentence that would be of benefit to the child victim.

The man was ordered to pay the boy $500 - a sentence the crown and the boy’s mother agreed upon.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Regional Qld teacher makes bid for job after guilty of assaulting own child