Teacher Paramjit Brownson was unfairly sacked for yelling at kids – now her $60,000 compo award has been upheld
A teacher awarded more than $60,000 in compensation after being sacked for yelling at unruly students will keep the payout after a Fair Work Commission ruling.
A teacher who received more than $60,000 after being unfairly sacked for yelling at students will keep her landmark payout after a final appeal by the school failed.
Brisbane teacher Paramjit Brownson sued Australian International Islamic College after she was fired for raising her voice while disciplining unruly students in December 2023.
But the Fair Work Commission has backed her, saying it was “absurd” for her to lose her job for this reason.
The case is being hailed as a victory for teachers’ rights to yell at students who are misbehaving.
Ms Brownson was accused of unprofessional conduct relating to four students. She was alleged to have yelled “I’ll make your life a living hell” to one student, screamed at students on yard duty and conducted “intimidating bag searches”.
She was also accused of giving students “unjust punishment for micro behaviours”, screaming at them for not completing homework and not letting them eat food during detention.
In June 2024, Commissioner Stephen Crawford found the dismissal was unfair because Ms Brownson’s disciplinary actions were justified given the students’ misbehaviour. He ordered her reinstatement and payment for lost wages.
He said it was “absurd to suggest that a high school teacher can be found to have committed serious misconduct simply because they have raised their voice towards misbehaving students”.
In hearings and evidence, Ms Brownson admitted she sometimes raised her voice, but said it was out of frustration and was necessary given the students’ misbehaviour. Such behaviour included the students being disrespectful, disruptive, late to class and missing class.
The school’s own investigation cleared Ms Brownson of abusing one student, and instead found she was “firm with her expectations” and “fair at all stages”. Some of the students said other staff members yelled at them more regularly than Ms Brownson.
Commissioner Crawford heard the case twice after an initial appeal by the school, and in a second ruling in June 2025, he ordered that reinstatement would be inappropriate.
He subsequently ordered Ms Brownson to be paid $55,786.90 plus superannuation of $6415.49.
He found the sacking was flawed and contrived and said a staff member falsified case notes to justify the treatment of Ms Brownson.
Commissioner Crawford found the school targeted Ms Brownson after she sent an email criticising a school director for speaking aggressively to a teacher, and ordered the college to reinstate her in June 2024.
In a ruling handed down by the commission this week, vice president Mark Gibian, deputy president Tony Saunders and deputy president Thomas Roberts granted the school permission to appeal, but at the same time dismissed the appeal.
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Originally published as Teacher Paramjit Brownson was unfairly sacked for yelling at kids – now her $60,000 compo award has been upheld
