Dr Morne Terblanche dies in week before lawsuit filed over alleged sexual harassment

A top hospital executive at a major Queensland hospital has died weeks before he was sued for damages for alleged sexual harassment after groping a colleague at a work party.

Doctor Morne Terblanche in 2013. File picture: Brett Wortman / Sunshine Coast Daily

A top hospital executive at a major Queensland hospital has died weeks before he was sued for damages for alleged sexual harassment after groping a colleague at a work party.

Morne Terblanche, who worked in the anaesthesia and perioperative medicine unit at Sunshine Coast University Hospital until August 2023, died aged 54 on September 27 last year and less than three weeks later colleague Libby Bissett sued his deceased estate in the Federal Court in Brisbane for up to $240,000 damages.

Bissett who was an anaesthetic technician and worked with Dr Terblanche since around November 2016, is also suing the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and Health Service for damages claiming they are liable for Terblanche’s sexual harassment.

She alleges Terblanche struck her right buttock and upper thigh from behind with his hand, as she was leaning into the pool table in the bar at about 9pm during a Hawaiian-themed end-of-year medical party for A&P staff.

The party was held at the Mooloolah Valley Country Club on February 4, 2024.

Dr Morne Terblanche died in September 2024.

She turned to confront him and swore at him, she alleges in her claim, then he grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace.

Ms Bissett, from Currimundi on the Sunshine Coast, alleges while embracing her, Terblanche said: “I’m sorry but you were asking for it”.

The claim alleges that following the harassment, but during the party, Dr Terblanche told Ms Bissett’s husband Jamie that he was entitled to strike his wife’s buttocks as he was her friend and described his actions to Ms Bissett as a joke.

“I’m not entirely sure what happened tonight. I know that my joking action was seen and maybe was inappropriate. And I apologise for that. Unreservedly. I hope it does not impact on our relationship,” Dr Terblanche wrote in a Facebook Messenger message to Ms Bissett sent later that night.

Two days later Ms Bissett alleges the hospital sought to trivialise the harassment and discourage her from making a formal complaint.

“Dr Paul Wigan of the hospital said words to the following effect during a telephone conversation,” Ms Bissett alleges in her claim.

“These things happen, the harassment is just one of those things, the harassment is a silly thing, once a complaint is made to human resources it will be hard for you to come back from,” the claim states Dr Wigan said.

Dr Terblanche is alleged to have sent a message to Ms Bissett apologising for his actions. Picture: Facebook

Her discrimination complaint was filed in the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in July 2023 and was referred to the Federal Court.

In her AHRC complaint, which is also filed in the Federal Court, Ms Bissett alleges that the two hours before Dr Terblanche groping her buttock that he stared directly at her breasts and said: “I love it, good job” and gave her a double-thumbs-up about the state of her breasts.

She alleges this occurred after he joined a conversation where she had been chatting with work colleague Rae Arnott who said to Ms Bissett that at least Ms Bissett’s breasts weren’t saggy like hers.

She alleges in the AHRC complaint she had to put herself between her husband and Dr Terblanche to prevent a “physical altercation” between the pair after he grabbed her bottom.

Ms Bissett alleges in her AHRC complaint that Dr Catherine Pease from the SCUHHS told her at a work meeting on February 7 that “everything you describe is his personality” and “there are a myriad of other women this has happened to”.

Ms Bissett lodged a WorkCover claim but this was rejected.

Libby Bissett is suing the doctor’s estate for up to $240,000 in damages. Picture: Supplied

In her Federal Court complaint Ms Bissett is seeking $200,000 in general damages for PTSD and pain and bruising to the right buttock and thigh as well as aggravated damages of $40,000 for her hurt, humiliation and distress.

She wants a written apology from the SCUHHS and for staff to be trained to prevent workplace sexual harassment.

The Terblanche estate and the SCUHHS has not yet filed a defence.

During a brief preliminary hearing of the case on February 4, the estate was ordered to serve its defence by February 28, and SCUHHS to file its defence by March 21.

The case will go to mediation no earlier than August 11, then if this fails the case has been set down for a three-day hearing starting on October 13 before Justice Erin Longbottom.

The Courier-Mail contacted the lawyer acting for Dr Terblanche’s estate and they declined to comment.