7 Mar 2013

Bullied girl's family paid $9000 compensation

10:37 pm on 7 March 2013

An Auckland family whose eight-year-old daughter was bullied by classmates at a Rudolf Steiner school has been paid $9000 in compensation.

The girl's parents, Steve Paris and Angel Garden, took a complaint to the Human Rights Commission and eventually reached a settlement with the school in Titirangi after three years.

Mr Paris says his daughter was bullied by a group of boys, including one who threatened her with an axe. He said she was not the only victim, and physical bullying was widespread.

The settlement said the school unlawfully discriminated against the family's two younger daughters by excluding them from the school after the parents made their complaint.

The school declined to be interviewed but said it had investigated the matter and reviewed its behaviour policy and enrolment process.

In a statement, school manager Mark Thornton said some children in the class had shown bullying behaviour.

Mr Thornton said the girl's claims were honest and she was acting in line with school policy when she reported the bullying to her parents and teachers.