Campbell and Magdalena
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘He fell through the cracks because he was really so normal. He still today goes under the radar, and people just think he's a bastard.’
A few years ago, Campbell started school.
Year 1 was ‘an absolute nightmare,’ his mum Magdalena told the Royal Commission. He couldn’t sit still, ‘wasn’t able to cope and he’d get frustrated’.
The school ‘was incredible’ and offered to help Campbell and Magdalena.
The head of learning arranged an appointment with a paediatrician who diagnosed Campbell as autistic.
The school came up with a series of reasonable adjustments and an individual education plan (IEP) for Campbell.
‘When he had a bit of a meltdown [the head of learning] would give him what I have now learned is a “brain break” and take him for a walk to the chickens – they'd collect eggs.’
The head of learning also attended all Campbell’s appointments and would take him back to school afterwards.
Campbell started to take medication on school days.
He repeated year 1 and ‘it was amazing’.
In year 2 there were a number of staff changes.
The new head of school ‘was there to clean up the school and he didn't want any rubbish’. He sidelined the head of learning who was ‘horrified’ but couldn’t do anything.
‘She was really nervous … She didn't want to lose her job. He was very intimidating.’
Campbell started to have major meltdowns.
Magdalena discovered his new teacher wasn’t implementing the reasonable adjustments in his IEP.
The head of school suspended Campbell. He called Magdalena in for a meeting but when she asked if Campbell’s ‘usual people’ could attend, he refused.
‘He was awful … He was actually having a go and speaking down to me as a parent … I was trying to tell him that [Campbell]'s on medication and we're going through the paediatrician, can you please be a little bit patient and understand … But he didn't want to know anything.’
The head of school believed Campbell was naughty and needed consequences.
Then a few weeks later, during a meltdown, Campbell threw a chair at his teacher.
Magdalena immediately went to the school and tried to understand what had happened. The head of school said there were no triggers for Campbell’s behaviour. When she asked about his IEP and reasonable adjustments he didn’t seem to know what she was talking about.
The head of school told her Campbell was ‘no longer welcome at the school’.
Magdalena loved the school and wanted Campbell to stay. She asked for ‘the opportunity to fix the problem’, but the head refused.
Magdalena contacted a disability advocate and ‘used what money [she] had left in the bank to pay for a private lawyer to communicate to the school’.
The lawyer asked for a meeting as per school policy.
‘That's when they started saying they didn't expel [Campbell] and they wanted a meeting but I didn’t want it and it was all my fault.’
Magdalena made a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission. She wanted the school to admit they were lying and to apologise for discriminating against Campbell.
She said the commission was very supportive but the school refused to accept any liability or offer an apology.
The commissioner suggested she could pursue the matter in the Federal Court but she couldn’t afford further legal representation.
Campbell is now at a local state school. It has been hard to make new friends but he has reasonable adjustments and a teacher who understands his needs.
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.