Mum threatens legal action, video emerges of brutal schoolyard fight

A mum has vowed to sue a Qld high school after her daughter took 18 punches to the head in a brutal schoolyard fight filmed and circulated on social media. *Warning distressing content.

A brutal schoolyard fight between teen girls filmed and circulated on social media this week has come to light show footage where a girl suffered at least 18 punches to the head.

Queensland Education has defended the actions of the rural school and teachers during and incident.

However, family of one girls claims they will take legal action over what they say is the failure of the high school to protect their daughter by not stopping the fight immediately.

The girl’s mother said she could not believe it when she viewed the video with two adult school staff appearing to be watching but baulking at step in and stop the barrage of punches.

After a teacher did eventually step in, the girl was taken to see a doctor because of the number of punches she took to her head.

The school later suspended her for 15 days for participating in the fight, which her mother says she had no choice but to do, to defend herself.

The confronting video shows a teenage girl striding purposefully up some external stairs at the rural high school before reaching a group of teens standing around.

She then grabs one girl from behind and throws her onto the ground where they grapple for a few seconds until the instigator gets on top and starts throwing punches into the girl’s head and pulling her by the hair.

A woman eventually intervenes pulling the girl away before she kicks the instigator.

A Burnett mother has vowed to take legal action against a school where she claims teachers failed to intervene quickly enough in a fight that left her daughter requiring an ambulance.

A Department of Education spokesperson said they were aware of the incident and that the school had applied “appropriate consequences” to all students involved.

“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,” they said.

“The school assisted the students involved following the altercation.”

Issues between the two girls had existed for some years, she said.

The family lost a son to suicide three years ago; a horrific loss that had been used to taunt his sister.

“We actually lost our son three years ago to suicide … (my daughter is constantly being told to) ‘go kill yourself’.

“(The school’s position) is she had a chance to escape (the fight) but she didn’t … she said she didn’t try and escape because the two girls defending her were also getting attacked,” the mother said.

“At the end, my daughter did hit her three times but that was after 18 punches to the head plus getting kicked in the head.”

A Burnett mother has vowed to take legal action against a school where she claims teachers failed to intervene quickly enough in a fight that left her daughter requiring an ambulance.

A Burnett mother has vowed to take legal action against a school where she claims teachers failed to intervene quickly enough in a fight that left her daughter requiring an ambulance.

During the video, a male adult can be seen standing next to them girls but not intervening.

“There was a teacher right there and all he did was say ‘stop girls,’ he was standing over looking at them with a water bottle in his hand. “He could have at least sprayed water on them,” the distraught mother said.

“They called me at 2.30pm to tell me my daughter had been involved in an altercation and that they had called an ambulance because of all the head knocks.

“The ambulance was running late and my daughter was OK so we got her to come home and we took her to the doctor directly.

“She’s got grazes on her elbow and a bit of bruising.”

Within minutes of the school calling, the video of the fight was on social media, she said.

“I got it at 2.35pm during school hours from another kid from school … five minutes after the school rang me.

“It had gone right through social media, kids from grade seven right through to grade 12 got it.

“There’s not supposed to be mobile phones at school at all but they’re just told to turn them off and leave them in their pocket.”

A Burnett mother has vowed to take legal action against a school where she claims teachers failed to intervene quickly enough in a fight that left her daughter requiring an ambulance.

The school has a policy regarding mobile phones stating they are not permitted.

“Devices not stored at student services will be turned off and out of sight at all times during the school day,” the policy states.

“I contacted the deputy principal about it, my daughter has spoken to about five different teachers.”

She said only one teacher had made an effort to “protect” her daughter.

“She started on my daughter on Wednesday, they called me and tried to keep them separated.”

She said the school gave the two students their own areas to sit at lunchtime.

“It lasted one day of them actually helping and then the other girl was just free to roam the school.

The woman said she was now looking at taking legal action.

“I am looking at suing the school for failure of duty of care. They were aware of this problem for weeks,” she said.

Originally published as Mum threatens legal action, video emerges of brutal schoolyard fight