A school support staff member at Tarneit Senior College in Melbourne has been awarded a substantial six-figure payout after she was assaulted by a group of teenage girls while intervening to protect a student. The compensation case highlights ongoing concerns about violence faced by school staff in Victoria and raises questions about the level of protection and support provided to education workers who step in during physical altercations.

The staffer sustained injuries after being set upon by the group of girls at the school and subsequently pursued a claim for damages. The case underlines the risks school employees can face when attempting to de-escalate or halt fights between students, and the payout reflects the seriousness with which the assault and its consequences were treated.