I allege that DEECD and The Victorian Institute of Teaching are guilty of Torture, not just this, they are uniquely guilty of working against the public interest, against teachers and the community in Victoria.
According to the United Nations torture is defined as:
...any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person, information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, orintimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in, or incidental to, lawful sanctions. —UN Convention Against Torture[1]
My case satisfies this criteria:
1. State sanctioned (VIT is instituted by law)
2. Extreme pain and suffering to the point of extreme suicidal ideation
3. After this point more pressure was applied without conscience
4. The first aim of the torture was to destabilise me so I could not defend myself and would be a walkover
5. The second aim of the torture was to mock me and make me accept false allegations, there were attacks made about my family, religion and world view
6. The aim of the torture was to disempower me, so that I would not be able to defend myself
and to disvalidate my claims of danger and corruption at Vermont Secondary College
7. There is clear discrimination. This takes the form of:
over-evaluation (bullying), no means of defence or recourse, an unfair power differential, (eg. at VIT I was forced to defend myself against a $400 an hour barrister), I accessed a community based lawyer who was not able to tackle the issues (actually made claims in her document which were not really true), other teachers were not evaluated at all, there is no true monitoring or investigation (allegations are just made). Major safety issues were not dealt with by coordinators or principals, such that serious safety breaches were continually in operation, students and myself were in danger. While I brought these up, these were not dealt with, while vague unbased slander is raised against myself in serious, extreme disciplinary action.
The education system in Victoria operates in a constant state of discrimination.
Firstly graduate teachers like myself, who have actually taught for 10 years (not acknowledged by VIT or DEECD) in many capacities, such as Junior School Coordinator, Head of Department, have to go through more hoops than other teachers before us. On top of this principals have no equivalent set of standards to adhere to, by which they might be regulated. While teachers have so many stages from their university degrees, practicums, VIT portfolio (2 years), internal reviews. Principals have the power via DEECD to ban teachers on a whim, even if there is little basis for their action.
When at the most stressful point in 2007, 4 principals (torture 1) ganged up on me, to implicate me of wrong doing in a school without basis. Despite the VIT calling this stuff not serious, that it should have been dealt at the local level, Terry Hayes (torture 2) have accepted the manufactured series of claims of tailgating a bus and driving recklessly, that has no basis in fact or law. These actions and the way they did it, can only be described as torture. In the VIT hearing, whenever I spoke, I was generally cut down, by Terry Hayes or the $400 an hour barrister, despite his claims in the determination, the transcript does not lie !
While I had been friendly, sociable, collegial and positive at Vermont Secondary.
The principals attacked me personally:
1. Not acting when serious threats were made against me including death threats
2. Making unbased accusation and forcing me to accept them without true recourse (required in their policy)
3. Ignoring claims of victimisation, when my teaching was clearly effective, seen in the incredible outcomes of my students, from my instruction, despite the stress.
4. When vulnerable (they have admitted knowing this) they continued to attack, after denying me the ongoing position which they had promised (which I had agreed to take on this proviso), they understood that they were essentially driving me bankrupt, as I had made financial commitments based on their promise
5. I was forced to work over 70 hours per week, far above the legal award maximum of 48 hours
6. In interviews, I was mocked and threatened and blackmailed.
7. When I complained about false claims and allegations, I was threatened with disciplinary action and blackmailed
8. I discovered that the school had lied, claiming that I said, "I take speed to stay awake."
9. They made false claims about tiredness, lateness, tailgating, anything they could think of.
10. Things I had been instructed to do and further, issues that had been dealt with in one offs, in instruction, were used as allegations against me
11. When most vulnerable and complaining, the principals used
12. The principals in a final meeting, slandered my family, my religion and mocked me as a hoon
13. The lies made me so anxious, that I started forgetting people's names and it even affected my coordination
14. Anyone who knows me, knows my resilience as has been documented, I have survived, extreme injustice through much of my life
15. The outcome was suicidal depression, albeit temporary, which took me some time to be rehabilitated from.
16. While I was in this state I was threatened by my housemate, because the commitment for rent, was now in disarray. I was sleeping in my car after this, essentially homeless and in increasing debt from loans I had taken, after taking the permanent job- which they had lied about.
17. Then I received a letter stating vague allegations from DEECD and that I had work bans placed on me.
18. I responded to the ridiculous unbased claims and these were ignored. DEECD did not even ring up my referees as is their procedure. Carmel White (torturer 3) mockingly said, "we're just following procedure."
The suicidal ideation happened after the principals acted, the causality is clear, even the over-evaluation they prompted, which is considered bullying by Worksafe, is framed as "normal," by Terry Hayes, in the VIT determination. People can't believe that this stuff can happen in Australia. But I work with a sex-slavery prevention group. The public aren't generally aware that there are over 70 documented cases, of sex-slavery and trafficking in recent Australian history and that paedophilia is still rampant in an Australian sex tourism industry.
Barbara Carter (torturer 4)
VIT follows the principals here as well. Barbara Carter of VIT, in charge of registration, instructed a psychiatrist Dr Lester Walton, to say that I had placed students in harm, what would you expect from a psychaitrist who justifies rape using the claim of "sex-somnia," for money, to get people off, like these principals. My doctor found that VIT'S actions towards me, him and with the psychiatrist were strange at best, he explained that there is a huge conflict of interest in the report and further the psychiatrist contradicts himself in several places, making false claims and erring on basic details, showing he didn't even listen to me. Fortunately the psychiatrist said that I don't have any mental disorder. He just doesn't like my personality, probably because its not as left brained and retentive as his. Maybe clients should be wary of someone, who wants to oppress their individuality, making out, that our uniqueness, and dignity makes us inappropriate for education. VIT has lowered itself to prejudice against personality. Totally irrelevant to the determination, which said, that is was not about my character.
What Lester Walton said in his offices during the interview:
"Why would you ever want to be a teacher, the abuse in schools is clear, many of my patients come in here because of what schools and principals have done, are you sure you want to return to that."
I have found this same thinking at VIT itself. The lawyers at VIT have all indicated to me (VIT has a high lawyer attrition) that they disagree with the processes at VIT and find its actions towards teachers legally strange. I might add deranged !
One of these lawyers said, "why would you ever want to be a teacher, there is no way to defend yourself from the a students, parents or principals, teaching is a hard profession."
Another said, "This place [VIT] has no interest in teaching, its moving towards just regulating teachers."
It is curious that this year there is no union representative at the VIT council.
VIT
It is a no wonder why the King Review says, VIT should not advocate for the profession, because according to this review, they have not raised the profile of teachers. That might have something to do with them supporting corrupt principals, when good teachers like me are oppressed for doing their job well. The King report reveals that VIT should just become a regulator.
Attacking my personality and family
In Lester Walton's document, my parents are slurred, as Rod Williamson did and as the principals did at the VIT hearing. My mother has been a teacher in Victoria for over 35 years, her students often win competitions. My father is a respected member of the community and has served in World Vision and with US Aid, helping the poor inspired by Jesus Christ. The principals desperately continue this state sanctioned torture, because they have no case. The law in Victoria does not stop them, because I believe these organisations have many corrupt elements within them.
1. State sanctioned (VIT is instituted by law)
2. Extreme pain and suffering to the point of extreme suicidal ideation
3. After this point more pressure was applied without conscience
4. The first aim of the torture was to destabilise me so I could not defend myself and would be a walkover
5. The second aim of the torture was to mock me and make me accept false allegations, there were attacks made about my family, religion and world view
6. The aim of the torture was to disempower me, so that I would not be able to defend myself
and to disvalidate my claims of danger and corruption at Vermont Secondary College
7. There is clear discrimination. This takes the form of:
over-evaluation (bullying), no means of defence or recourse, an unfair power differential, (eg. at VIT I was forced to defend myself against a $400 an hour barrister), I accessed a community based lawyer who was not able to tackle the issues (actually made claims in her document which were not really true), other teachers were not evaluated at all, there is no true monitoring or investigation (allegations are just made). Major safety issues were not dealt with by coordinators or principals, such that serious safety breaches were continually in operation, students and myself were in danger. While I brought these up, these were not dealt with, while vague unbased slander is raised against myself in serious, extreme disciplinary action.
The education system in Victoria operates in a constant state of discrimination.
Firstly graduate teachers like myself, who have actually taught for 10 years (not acknowledged by VIT or DEECD) in many capacities, such as Junior School Coordinator, Head of Department, have to go through more hoops than other teachers before us. On top of this principals have no equivalent set of standards to adhere to, by which they might be regulated. While teachers have so many stages from their university degrees, practicums, VIT portfolio (2 years), internal reviews. Principals have the power via DEECD to ban teachers on a whim, even if there is little basis for their action.
When at the most stressful point in 2007, 4 principals (torture 1) ganged up on me, to implicate me of wrong doing in a school without basis. Despite the VIT calling this stuff not serious, that it should have been dealt at the local level, Terry Hayes (torture 2) have accepted the manufactured series of claims of tailgating a bus and driving recklessly, that has no basis in fact or law. These actions and the way they did it, can only be described as torture. In the VIT hearing, whenever I spoke, I was generally cut down, by Terry Hayes or the $400 an hour barrister, despite his claims in the determination, the transcript does not lie !
While I had been friendly, sociable, collegial and positive at Vermont Secondary.
The principals attacked me personally:
1. Not acting when serious threats were made against me including death threats
2. Making unbased accusation and forcing me to accept them without true recourse (required in their policy)
3. Ignoring claims of victimisation, when my teaching was clearly effective, seen in the incredible outcomes of my students, from my instruction, despite the stress.
4. When vulnerable (they have admitted knowing this) they continued to attack, after denying me the ongoing position which they had promised (which I had agreed to take on this proviso), they understood that they were essentially driving me bankrupt, as I had made financial commitments based on their promise
5. I was forced to work over 70 hours per week, far above the legal award maximum of 48 hours
6. In interviews, I was mocked and threatened and blackmailed.
7. When I complained about false claims and allegations, I was threatened with disciplinary action and blackmailed
8. I discovered that the school had lied, claiming that I said, "I take speed to stay awake."
9. They made false claims about tiredness, lateness, tailgating, anything they could think of.
10. Things I had been instructed to do and further, issues that had been dealt with in one offs, in instruction, were used as allegations against me
11. When most vulnerable and complaining, the principals used
12. The principals in a final meeting, slandered my family, my religion and mocked me as a hoon
13. The lies made me so anxious, that I started forgetting people's names and it even affected my coordination
14. Anyone who knows me, knows my resilience as has been documented, I have survived, extreme injustice through much of my life
15. The outcome was suicidal depression, albeit temporary, which took me some time to be rehabilitated from.
16. While I was in this state I was threatened by my housemate, because the commitment for rent, was now in disarray. I was sleeping in my car after this, essentially homeless and in increasing debt from loans I had taken, after taking the permanent job- which they had lied about.
17. Then I received a letter stating vague allegations from DEECD and that I had work bans placed on me.
18. I responded to the ridiculous unbased claims and these were ignored. DEECD did not even ring up my referees as is their procedure. Carmel White (torturer 3) mockingly said, "we're just following procedure."
The suicidal ideation happened after the principals acted, the causality is clear, even the over-evaluation they prompted, which is considered bullying by Worksafe, is framed as "normal," by Terry Hayes, in the VIT determination. People can't believe that this stuff can happen in Australia. But I work with a sex-slavery prevention group. The public aren't generally aware that there are over 70 documented cases, of sex-slavery and trafficking in recent Australian history and that paedophilia is still rampant in an Australian sex tourism industry.
Barbara Carter (torturer 4)
VIT follows the principals here as well. Barbara Carter of VIT, in charge of registration, instructed a psychiatrist Dr Lester Walton, to say that I had placed students in harm, what would you expect from a psychaitrist who justifies rape using the claim of "sex-somnia," for money, to get people off, like these principals. My doctor found that VIT'S actions towards me, him and with the psychiatrist were strange at best, he explained that there is a huge conflict of interest in the report and further the psychiatrist contradicts himself in several places, making false claims and erring on basic details, showing he didn't even listen to me. Fortunately the psychiatrist said that I don't have any mental disorder. He just doesn't like my personality, probably because its not as left brained and retentive as his. Maybe clients should be wary of someone, who wants to oppress their individuality, making out, that our uniqueness, and dignity makes us inappropriate for education. VIT has lowered itself to prejudice against personality. Totally irrelevant to the determination, which said, that is was not about my character.
What Lester Walton said in his offices during the interview:
"Why would you ever want to be a teacher, the abuse in schools is clear, many of my patients come in here because of what schools and principals have done, are you sure you want to return to that."
I have found this same thinking at VIT itself. The lawyers at VIT have all indicated to me (VIT has a high lawyer attrition) that they disagree with the processes at VIT and find its actions towards teachers legally strange. I might add deranged !
One of these lawyers said, "why would you ever want to be a teacher, there is no way to defend yourself from the a students, parents or principals, teaching is a hard profession."
Another said, "This place [VIT] has no interest in teaching, its moving towards just regulating teachers."
It is curious that this year there is no union representative at the VIT council.
VIT
It is a no wonder why the King Review says, VIT should not advocate for the profession, because according to this review, they have not raised the profile of teachers. That might have something to do with them supporting corrupt principals, when good teachers like me are oppressed for doing their job well. The King report reveals that VIT should just become a regulator.
Attacking my personality and family
In Lester Walton's document, my parents are slurred, as Rod Williamson did and as the principals did at the VIT hearing. My mother has been a teacher in Victoria for over 35 years, her students often win competitions. My father is a respected member of the community and has served in World Vision and with US Aid, helping the poor inspired by Jesus Christ. The principals desperately continue this state sanctioned torture, because they have no case. The law in Victoria does not stop them, because I believe these organisations have many corrupt elements within them.
What I am doing
I believe I have done what is right, in trying to reveal some of this, with the facts of my case, defending the truth, yet it seems, this is not enough. I have been gentle, I have shouted and screamed, written letters, networked the truth widely. The situation has not been resolved. I have approached the Ombudsman's office to fix the corruption, Bronwyn Pike's office. No one will act, they all just say- "get legal advice." This in what is quickly becoming an idiot country, when to get justice, people mockingly say, "you need to seek legal advice." Its an indicator of the overwhelming corruption starting to drive Australia, where only money talks. As I have said before, Maynard Keynes said this was normal for a capitalist country. morals and ethics don't drive it. But that is why we have law, though I sense it is failing to defend the weak and that very Australian underdog; now to the degree of torture.
The Determination
The determination has mistakes in it. I have shown this to both the Ombudsman's Office and Andrew Ius. They have refused to act. VIT has done nothing to rectify its misdemeanors. As such I have to release the names publicly myself, as I have no other avenue for recourse, but I'll never give up on this, to let people get away with such clear wrong in my country, is not going to stand:
Who is Responsible ?
The people I claim are responsible for the torture were and are:
Rod Williamson (previous principal of Vermont Secondary- now VASSP Whitehorse area leader)
Kim Fallon (previous AP at Vermont Secondary College)
Tony Jacobs (current principal at Vermont Secondary- was AP at the time)
Harry Ruff (current AP now, was acting AP in 2007)
Barbara Carter of VIT (in charge of registrations at VIT- complicit in the matter)
Carmel White (in charge of Conduct and Ethics at DEECD)
Tony Bugden (in charge of Human Services at DEECD)
Terry White (Chairman of the tribunal at the VIT hearing)
........................................................................................
Why De-registered ?
The reason stated for my deregistration was that I can't identify that anxiety caused MY issues at the school. This despite there being no real evidence of any issues at the school. Its made up, based on the "authority" of the principals, who presented no real evidence. The slander was hearsay, the evidence showed, that their claims lacked merit.
........................................................................................
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How Can I defend myself ?
I am desperate, I have asked God to defend me. I have no money or means to defend myself against the actions of certain teachers in Victoria. I approached legal Aid, they do not do "employment matters." I asked Pilch for a barrister. Despite helping homeless people, which I a sort of am, they said, you have no way of winning, they can do whatever they want, it seems.
This is clear. While I am accused of not following protocol, that this is very serious, despite no real evidence of this, and plenty of evidence to the contrary. I just find it amusing that DEECD itself is immuned from protocol by law. In the ETR 2006 ACT of 2006 which covers DEECD and VIT, regarding disciplinary decisions, this unbelievable little insert added in 2008 2.4.59C says:
"Defects in procedures will not invalidate determinations."
What this means, is that the teacher has no real rights, that the education department can do whatever it wants, in whatever way it wants, without accountability or recourse. I have tested this system and it works. They ignore your evidence, they knock it down, or do not even acknowledge it and when they can't win, they attack your personality and character, when they have placed you in a desperate situation. The beaurocracy can say and do whatever it wants, without question. You can't win. It is such law which means that the torture experienced from the principals towards myself at DEECD and VIT, is overlooked. They virtually do whatever they want and they can get away with it.
I asked Andrew Ius of VIT today, whether he would put my complaint about the principals through VIT. He said , "Its a little more complicated than that." There are numerous breaches of department policy, OH&S and even school policy, with clear evidence of these breaches, just from the transcript of the VIT hearing. This is evidence of pure discrimination at the VIT.
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