School pays out $150,000 after boy stoned, scalped in bullying incident
Bullying ... the boy was chased into a brick wall and scalped, and was a target for stone-throwing- Boy stoned, scalped in bullying incident
- Perpetrator was "buddy" looking after him
- School pays out $150,000 to family
A FIVE-year-old Queensland boy was scalped, stoned, hit and taunted in an atrocious case of schoolyard bullying - and the main perpetrator was the "buddy" charged with protecting him.
Lachlan Antony Guerin suffered a minor brain injury during the sustained bullying by his school-assigned buddy and other older students at St John's Lutheran Primary School in Kingaroy, while in preschool and Year 1 in 1997 and 1998.
His guardian, Evelyn-Joy Lindsay-Park, filed a claim in the District Court in Brisbane for $250,000 but has accepted $150,000 plus costs from the school in an out-of-court mediated settlement, The Courier-Mail reports.
In her statement of claim, Ms Lindsay-Park said the older student was supposed to "provide guidance, support, mentoring and/or friendship" to Lachlan but instead he and other students abused him.
She said Lachlan was chased into a brick wall and scalped, prevented from using the toilet to the point he wet himself, and was a target for stone-throwing.
He was also hit, kicked, teased and ridiculed. As a result, Lachlan suffered a minor brain injury affecting his left upper limb function, speech and co-ordination, as well as cuts, bruising and scarring to the head, lost hair, a chipped tooth, cuts to his mouth and knee, and bruising.
He also developed separation anxiety disorder, avoidant personality disorder and has the potential for depressive illness.
Ms Lindsay-Park claimed the school breached its duty of care by not ensuring Lachlan was safe or that the "buddy" acted appropriately, and by not putting systems in place to prevent bullying and injury by other students.
She said parental complaints were not taken seriously to prevent further bullying.
School principal Helen Folker declined to comment.
Ms Lindsay-Park said Lachlan had made a lot of progress in the past 12 months and the court case had brought some closure to the family.
"I think there has been justice from Lachlan's perspective," she said.
"He's a very generous and considered person. It was about having someone say this shouldn't have happened and that you weren't lying. That's so important to a kid."
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574...1-1248,00.html