A school staff member in Melbourne has received a six-figure payout following a brutal assault by a gang of teenage girls in August 2023. The employee, identified as 62-year-old Anna Pengelly, was working in the administration office at Tarneit Senior College when she intervened to protect a student.
As Pengelly ordered a large group of students to leave the foyer, they turned on her, knocking her to the ground and assaulting her with kicks and punches, including blows to the head. The attack was captured on CCTV and gained national attention at the time. Three other teachers were also reportedly attacked during the incident. Police arrested five teenage girls in connection with the assault.
Court documents indicate that Pengelly sustained a traumatic shoulder injury requiring surgery. Complications from the operation led to neuropathy, bruising, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, and ongoing sleep deprivation. She has been unable to return to substantial employment since her surgery in January 2024 and continues to experience loss of income and earning capacity.
Pengelly's legal team alleged that the Department of Education failed to adequately protect staff, despite foreseeable risks of violence. Specific claims included a failure to warn her of the risk of violence, inadequate communication of an existing safety plan for a student, insufficient security measures, failure to conduct appropriate risk assessments, and a lack of a safe system of work.
The matter was scheduled for a hearing in the County Court of Victoria but was settled on the eve of the trial. The settlement is reported to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Joseph Ridley, principal lawyer at Arnold Thomas & Becker, stated that the case highlights broader concerns about the safety of teachers and support staff in Victorian schools. He emphasized that all school employees have the right to expect to return home safely and should not fear assault while performing their duties. Ridley pointed out that administrative staff are often the first responders in volatile situations and deserve equal protection and support as other members of the school community. He added that the psychological effects of such violence can persist for years and that employers have a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to protect their workers when risks are known.
At the time of the incident, Tarneit Senior College principal Shane Cole-Hayhow sent a message to students and parents condemning the violence as unacceptable and contrary to school values. An Education Department spokesperson also stated that there is no place for violence in schools and that the department was cooperating with the police investigation and working with the school, students, and families involved. The spokesperson also noted that all schools have policies in place to address incidents of violence or bullying.