A proposal to impose a $1000 fine on parents who post defamatory statements about teachers or principals online has triggered renewed discussion across Victoria’s education sector.
This initiative, put forward by Frank Handy, an experienced school dispute mediator, reflects growing concern about the toll that online abuse is taking on educators’ mental health and professional reputation.
Reports of personal attacks on school staff have surged in recent years, prompting calls for clearer boundaries and accountability.
According to The Age, Handy believes that implementing a financial penalty could serve as a deterrent and encourage more respectful online engagement between parents and schools.
Mediator Calls for Penalties to Deter Online Abuse
Frank Handy, chair of the Independent Office for School Dispute Resolution, proposes fines as a deterrent to protect school staff from escalating abuse on digital platforms.
You don’t sign up for the challenge of parents being abusive to you – he said.
Parents should not be doing this.
Handy, who resolves about 30 high-conflict disputes per year, argues that parental behavior is not driven by malice, but by anxiety amplified since the pandemic.
My firm view is it’s not happening because parents are more terrible people or something like that – he said.
They don’t have a conscious sense of, ‘I’m being bad.’ They think, ‘I’m overwhelmed with the anxiety of the situation, so I am pressing send. I lose it and I yell.
He believes a statutory system for fines, akin to traffic penalties, could push parents to reconsider before posting inflammatory content.
If you did something like that in the reverse order, then you’d say, ‘Gee, I better be careful what I say otherwise … I have to defend myself’.
Volume and Nature of Complaints Increasing
According to the Victorian Ombudsman, formal complaints about the Department of Education continue to rise:
- 1079 complaints in 2022–2023.
- 1158 complaints in 2023–2024.
- 986 complaints so far in the current fiscal year.
Breakdown of issues reported:
- 27% related to decision-making.
- 15% concerned how complaints were handled.
- 12% involved communications or record-keeping.
The Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania confirms a spike in complaints, often driven by heightened emotions rather than factual issues. While legitimate concerns warrant full investigation, a growing share of reports are inflammatory or exaggerated, according to union representatives.
Several recent incidents underscore the scope and sensitivity of current disputes. In one case, a teacher was suspended for yelling at a student who had allegedly attempted to break into her car.
In another instance, parents filed a complaint after a teacher provided more feedback in the “to improve” section than in the “achieved” section during a parent-teacher conference.
A separate case involved a gay graduate teacher who was subjected to homophobic abuse by students. Although he attempted to address the situation, the school ultimately accused him of reportable conduct, claiming he had failed to sufficiently denounce the offensive remarks.
Restorative Approaches and Role Limitations
While advocating for penalties, Handy stresses his office’s primary mission is conflict resolution through dialogue and restorative practices. He explains that cases referred to him have already exhausted the formal complaint management processes within the Department of Education.
I just think that seems to be more prevalent now in our society as a whole, and that means it gets reflected in school – Handy said.
His caseload often involves primary schools, where he handles issues ranging from disciplinary disputes and divorce-related school conflicts to challenges around support for students with disabilities.
He also deals with unsolicited calls from individuals looking to vent or demand disciplinary actions he is not authorized to deliver. “I can’t get anyone fired,” he reminds those seeking punitive outcomes.
Federal Agency Confirms Rise in Online Abuse
A spokesperson for eSafety Australia noted an increase in reports of online abuse directed at educators.
While the agency does not assess defamatory content, it can intervene under its serious adult cyber abuse scheme if the abuse is deemed menacing, harassing, or offensive, and is intended to cause serious harm.
While we do not assess content for defamation, eSafety can take action under our serious adult cyber abuse scheme where the abuse meets the legal threshold of being menacing, harassing or offensive and intended to cause serious harm – the spokesperson explained.
