A former student of Blue Mountains Grammar School in New South Wales has decided to take legal action against her alma mater, claiming her HSC results were negatively impacted by continual bullying during her time there.
Aimee Clifton graduated from the independent school located west of Sydney, just under two years ago. She attended the institution from 2017 to 2022.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Clifton is seeking nearly $600,000 in damages in the NSW Supreme Court.
She is alleging that in not properly investigating her allegations of bullying when she complained in 2020, the school neglected to uphold its own policy on bullying.
She alleges that the treatment she received from other students at the school was so bad, that she was forced to drop out of in-person classes and instead chose to continue her HSC preparation at home.
The former student is alleging her car windscreen wipers were torn off, that she was called a “psycho bitch”, was threatened with physical violence and was physically assaulted at a school sports day per the SMH.
During this time, Clifton claims she received “minimal to nil academic support”.
“The plaintiff performed very poorly in the HSC exams as a direct result of the distress caused by bullying and interruption to her studies,” the statement of claim said.
“[Clifton] had always been a high distinction student but achieved only a final ATAR of 75.85, despite earlier expectations of surpassing 90.
The school’s current principal, who isn’t mentioned in the claim, declined to comment on the case directly.
“It is essential to prioritise the privacy and confidentiality of all parties involved, and so we are committed to engaging with the appropriate professionalism and sensitivity,” Steven Coote said.
Header image Lincoln Beddoe via iStock.
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