Bad Apple Bullies

When I met John Ryan in Brisbane on October 13, 2004, he asked me if I wanted to make a "Victim Impact Statement".

At the time I told him that I was very reluctant to describe the impact of the bullying on my life, because acting principal G.R. had seemed to me to be enjoying bullying me.

I was concerned that acting principal G.R. would enjoy reading about the impact of her bullying on my life, and that her dysfunctional behaviour would be rewarded.

I did not expect, in October 2004, that I would still be waiting - in August 2008 - to be told what the allegations were in the "notes to (Grade 7 teacher N.T.) from Desley", and to know what the other "lots of allegations" were against me, and to be given copies of the "lots of pieces of paper to prove how things may have happened" and still be waiting - in August 2008 - to have the opportunity to respond to these mystery allegations and to prove myself innocent.

So I have decided to describe some of the effects of the workplace bullying on my life to this date, 19 August 2008-

 

1. The workplace abuse has affected my health.

12 October 2000

This was the day of my meeting with acting principal G.R. to discuss her behaviour towards me during and after the meeting with Mother D.A.

Acting deputy principal A.L. later came into the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, I told acting principal G.R. and acting deputy principal A.L. that I had tried to contact G.R. at the weekend to discuss some health problems privately.

I told them that I had not intended to discuss these problems with acting principal A.L. (who was usually a reading teacher, sitting next to me in our shared office).

I asked them both several times not to gossip about my health because it had caused problems for me at another local school when I had told the principal my health problems.

(I had told a principal that I was deaf and he seemed to have told either the parents or the children because, being children, they began following me around, shouting at me and then saying, "She can't hear anything. She's deaf!")

I told G.R. and A.L. about the problems that I had with my heart banging and thumping.

I had been told that I was at very high risk of a heart attack because my cholesterol levels were very high.

I was advised that stress might be a factor and that I should try to reduce stress.

On Monday 9 October 2000 I had taken a day of sick leave to recover from the stress of the abuse by student D.A., Mother D.A. and acting principal G.R.

I was worried that acting principal G.R. would "beat up" this day of sick leave against me.

I told G.R. and A.L. that I sometimes took a day of sick leave after stressful situations to try to give myself time to recover.

I hoped that they would understand that I was not "slacking", I was just looking after my health.

 

I said, "I expect that you have noticed that I ..." and then I stopped, because I did not feel safe telling G.R. that I was hard of hearing.

I was apprehensive that she would maliciously tell B.O.J. and B.O. S. to "be kind to (my name) because, you know, she's DEAF!"

And that this would, of course, undermine me greatly with these naughty children, and create more problems for me.

 

17 October 2000

During the meeting on 12 October 2000 acting principal G.R. had claimed (in front of acting deputy principal A.L.) that she had not asked me to stay behind in her office after Mother G.R. had left.

This was not true.

This was the first time that any school principal had ever lied about me, right "to my face".

This may seem a small thing to somebody else, but I was deeply shocked.

After that meeting I was very worried.

I felt that my relationship with acting principal G.R. had been destroyed because she had lied about me and we were both very aware that she had lied about me.

Or I certainly was.

G.R. also seemed to be very worryingly impulsive, repeatedly jumping to conclusions and "beating things up" into a drama, rather than asking questions and finding out the facts.

I felt about as unsafe at work as you could possibly be.

I felt that there were no boundaries.

That anything could happen.

 

To be continued

 

 

2. For several years I have been stalked by a member of my old branch of the Labor party.

The Legal Aid website defines stalking behaviour as:

• following a person or
• repeatedly contacting a person or
• intimidating or harassing them

http://www.legalaid.qld.gov.au/Legal+Information/The+justice+system/Offences/Stalking.htm

 

In about 2007 I became an active supporter of Local Member C.

For several months during 2007-2008, I organised groups of Labor Party supporters to go to local suburbs and campaign on behalf of Local Member C.

I participated in many other activities supporting Local Member C's campaign.

But I was not actually a member of one of her branches.

I had been a member of Local Member D's Branch of the Labor party for several years.

I had attended several meetings of this branch over the years and had participated in various activities with Local Member D's group.

During these meetings I had met Labor party member D.R. briefly.

When I was attacked at work, I immediately "dropped out" of all activites with both of the local branches.

I did not hold the Local Members responsible for the behaviour of the members of their groups.

I knew that the branch members were a very 'mixed bag' and I understood that the Local Members had to 'do their best with what they had got'.

I did not want to involve the local groups in the situation and cause problems for the Local Members, both of whom I respected and trusted.

I expected that the situation would be quietly resolved and then then I would be able to quietly resume my activities with the local Labor party groups.

I did not expect that the abuse would continue for eight years.

 

For several years now, Labor party member D.R. has been stalking me.

He is quite a big man, taller than me.

He dresses and moves strangely.

He seems to spend many hours wandering about the city.

At first he would walk up to me, raise his arm and fist in front of me and shout, "Up the workers!".

He repeated that several times.

Then he began to raise his arm above his head as he approached me.

More recently he has simply hovered around me, grinning.

 

I do not hold Local member D responsible for the behaviour of this member of her branch.

But I do wonder what Labor party member D.R. has been told about me that would prompt him to stalk me.

 

On Thursday 2 August, 2007, I emailed John Battams, General Secretary of the Queensland Teachers' Union-

 

"... I would appreciate some legal advice on Education Queensland's continuing refusal to allow me Natural Justice. ...

I used to be a member of (Local Member B's) branch of the Labor party.

Now one member of that group waves his fist in my face and shouts "up the workers!" whenever he meets me in town.

I feel very unsafe.

... This "Bad Apple Bully-Mob" do not mean me well. ..."

 

On 7 August 2007 Graham Maloney, Deputy General Secretary of the QTU, replied:

"... your request covers essentially the same ground that was rejected

• by me by email on 19 December 2005 and 3 January 2006,
• by Kevin Bates acting in my role by letter dated 18 August 2006
• and by Jeff Backen acting in my role on 11 April 2007.

Accordingly, I do not intend to approve legal assistance requested by you."

 

Some months ago, when Labor party member D.R. approached me at the entrance to a local shopping centre, I tried to explain to him that he did not understand the situation.

I explained to him that I had tried very hard to deal with the situation in a way that did as little harm to the Labor party as possible.

I made it plain to D.R. that I wanted him to stop approaching me.

But he does not stop.

 

For example:

On Wednesday May 28, 2008, as I parked my car in the city, Labor party member D.R. approached.

I was with two friends. 

D.R. walked up close to me and made a loud grunting noise.

 

On Friday July 4, 2008, as I left City Place, Labor party member D.R. saw me.

He raised his arm above his head.

Then he stood in front of me, blocking my path, so that I had to walk around him.