The welfare of Illawarra students attending unsanctioned high school formals has again been called into question after the mother of a Year 10 student confessed to verbally abusing one of her daughter’s classmates while chaperoning at their formal.
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The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a charge of intimidation in Wollongong Local Court on Thursday.
She admitted yelling at the 16-year-old victim, repeatedly calling her a “f—king bitch” and blaming her for ruining a fellow student’s night after she incorrectly announced the winner of the “best dressed” award.
It’s the second time in as many months that Year 10 formals have been put under the spotlight.
In September, Warilla High’s Year 10 formal plans made headlines after it was revealed a student survey was calling for votes on so-called “joke awards” including “biggest bitch”, the student “most likely to be gay” and the one “most likely to die a virgin”.
Parents expressed outrage at the situation while the school distanced itself from awards, saying the formal had been organised by students “without the authority, knowledge or approval of the school”.
The saga divided the community, with some saying people needed to “lighten up”, while others suggested the awards perpetuated a culture of bullying.
In court on Thursday, defence lawyer Alyce Fisher said her client had believed the wrong name being announced for the formal’s “best dressed” award had been a deliberate act designed to embarrass the girl in question.
“My client had heard that an incident was going to take place in that the best dressed was going to be awarded to [the girl] then taken off her,” Ms Fisher said.
“She believed it was a premeditated act of bullying by the [victim].”
Court documents said the woman confronted the victim, saying she should be “f—king ashamed” of herself.
The victim said she’d made an honest mistake, however the woman didn’t buy it and accused her of lying.
The victim later told police she felt intimidated when the older woman came up close to her and called her a “f—king bitch” multiple times. Another parent eventually stepped between them.
Magistrate Peter Thompson acknowledged that the woman was suffering from depression and a marriage breakdown at the time of the offence.
He also accepted she had acted “with the best intentions”, but said she had failed in her duty to be a good role model that night.
“At the end of the day, these were girls in Year 10 and you were the grown up,” he said.
The woman was convicted and fined $600.
