Defend teachers! Help recover Tracey’s legal costs
To all fellow educators who love and enjoy their role in the community and to all parents and students who have ever been inspired by the hard work and dedication of a teacher or principal in your life, we are asking for your help.
The highly respected principal of one of Queensland’s top performing public schools, was viciously defamed on social media four years ago. She rightly decided that enough was enough, not only for herself, but for all education and other professionals. Since then, she has endured a long and bitter legal battle, which has cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. At no point could she allow herself to give up as she knew that this fight was bigger than the close-knit community of Tamborine Mountain.
This landmark case has now set a precedent for all educators to say enough is enough and have the backing of the legal system if any one of us is defamed through social media. Tracey has put her entire livelihood on the line so she could stand up for all other educators.
Needless to say, the emotional, physical and financial toll this has placed on Tracey, her husband and children, is unfathomable. This includes an attack on her home when one of the parents involved broke her front door down and terrified her family.
Tracey has always stated that this was never about the money and only wanted to stand up for what is right and give teachers and other professionals a path forward should they find they are in the same situation. No one deserves to go through what Tracey and her family have been through.
Even throughout this ordeal, Tracey managed to lead the school with exceptional exit outcomes for 2019, with Tamborine Mountain SHS being rated as the second best school in QLD.
In order to fund her huge legal bills, she borrowed in excess of $400,000 from family members, and mortgaged their family home. The total costs to her family were in excess of $600,000. This has undoubtedly affected the whole family, including her young children. All Tracey wants is to keep her family safe and continue with her life.
We acknowledge that out of court settlements and the final judgement amount to just shy of $200,000. With the final result of the trial awarding a win, but giving Tracey just $6,000 in damages. This still leaves her and her family heavily out of pocket by thousands of dollars.
Our aim is $300,000 (this is just a portion of the costs incurred) and it’s our hope that with all the professionals in the state (or even country) we would only need 30,000 supporters to donate $10 each and that would go a long way to helping this amazing woman recover some losses. If we can exceed this goal we may be able to help cover more of her costs.
Tracey and her family deserve to have their lives back.
Please feel free to share with friends and colleagues and let’s show our support towards a woman who went into battle on behalf of teachers throughout the country.
More details on this case can be found here:
https://tvblackbox.com.au/programs/2020/2/28/be-careful-what-you-say-about-your-childs-school-principal-on-60-minutes
Or view the full 60 Minutes story here:
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This campaign has not been created by Tracey or her family directly, however she has accepted our offer to help raise these funds. All money will go directly to Tracey and her family.