Terrifying claims from inside Beaudesert State High School
Terrified students reveal details of “disgusting” and “degrading” treatment by peers and teachers, saying they fear for their lives.
Education
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Terrified students from Beaudesert State High School have revealed “disgusting” and “degrading” treatment by peers and teachers, saying they fear for their lives as violence, bullying and sordid behaviour rage out of control.
They allege kids as young as 11 come to class “high or drunk just to get through the day” while sexual assaults are “swept under the carpet” and bullies armed with knives “rule the school”.
Children are pinned down in toilets as classmates smear their faces with urine, and others are told “if you don’t kill yourself, I’m going to kill you”, they claim.
Some year 7s are groomed by older students into “becoming assholes” as fights break out almost daily and victims are advised by teachers to hide in the library at break times in order to be protected.
More than a dozen traumatised teens, desperate for change, have given a first-hand account of what it’s like to attend the regional school of around 1330 kids, with The Courier-Mail not disclosing their names for safety reasons.
The children have been motivated to speak out following extensive coverage by this newspaper on an alleged toxic culture at the school, 67km south of Brisbane, following two tragic student suicides within 20 months.
The families of Onyx Rose Lambert, 13, and Lilly Osborne, 16, say their children were literally bullied to death.
“What happened to Onyx and Lilly could happen to any of us,” said one year 9 student.
“I’ve never panicked about something so much in my life as coming to school every day,” the 13-year-old said.
“Kids have been held down in the toilet and a pissy shoe wiped in the urinal put on their face.
“Others have been trapped in the media room and forced to view pornographic images by older students, or stabbed in the back with pencils.
“Anyone who complains to the school about bullying or anxiety is told to go to the library for their own safety or hang out at (the learning disability) D-block where there are cameras and the offices of HODs (heads of department).
“But that only increases the bullying because they get called ‘speds’ or retards.”
Another student said pupils who were academic stars and sports captains in primary school had dropped from As to Fs at the high school known as “Beau-y” – due to the emotional toll of unchecked bullying and violence.
A year 11 student said: “I don’t know anyone who likes going there. Attendance is very low. It’s like, here’s another day, what’s going to happen, who’s next?”
The 16-year-old said kids in year 7 were getting high (on marijuana) in the bathrooms and vaping was rife but ignored by school staff.
“So far this year the only reprimand I’ve seen is for someone wearing black socks when they should be white. Kids are taken out of class for this instead of for the serious things that are life impacting.”
A recently exited student told The Courier-Mail that being at Beaudesert High “nearly killed” them.
“It’s a disgusting environment, and it chips away at you until you’re a completely different person – every year you go on, it drags you down further until you’re so stressed out and sick,” they said.
The Courier-Mail put a long list of questions detailing the specific allegations to Education Minister Grace Grace, Education Queensland and principal Grant Stephensen.
Ms Grace said she was “deeply saddened to hear about the recent tragic death of a student (Onyx Rose Lambert, who identified as a boy)”.
“As the parent of a non-binary child, Onyx’s death hit particularly close to home.
“My chief of staff and senior officials in the department have been in touch with the family directly, and I have offered to meet with them personally should they wish.
“I have asked my department to work closely with the school to offer any further support required – this will include a forum for families with senior department staff next week.
“Bullying is a scourge, and we take a zero-tolerance approach … and provide extensive resources and support.”
An education department spokesman said the claims around substance abuse, sexual assault and other inappropriate behaviour were very serious but “the school has not previously been made aware of several of the incidents raised by The Courier-Mail”.
The spokesman said Beaudesert High, like any other school, faced challenges including complex behavioural issues and “we do not hesitate to take firm disciplinary action”.
“Every teacher has the right to teach, and every student has the right to learn in an environment that is free from distraction, disruption, and anti-social, unruly behaviour.”
Mr Stephensen did not respond.
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