A Brisbane teacher will keep her $62,000 unfair dismissal payout after her former school failed to convince the Fair Work Commission that raising her voice at misbehaving students was a sackable offence.
The Australian International Islamic College dismissed Year Nine teacher Paramjit Brownson in December 2023 after being accused of yelling at students, allegedly intimidating pupils during bag checks, and imposing harsh punishments.
One allegation claimed she told a student,
“I’ll make your life a living hell.”
But in rulings across 2024 and 2025, Fair Work Commissioner Stephen Crawford repeatedly found her dismissal was unjust, criticising the school’s handling of the case and its reliance on falsified notes. He said it was “absurd” to treat a teacher’s raised voice as serious misconduct when dealing with disruptive students.
Evidence from pupils also showed Ms Brownson was not the only teacher who raised her voice, and others did so more frequently.
According to Daily Mail,
The Commission further found that the real motive for her dismissal stemmed from a conflict with college director Mohamed Azhari, after Ms Brownson supported a colleague who had complained about his aggressive behaviour at a school cultural event.
Commissioner Crawford ruled the disciplinary process against her was “contrived and flawed” and said Mr Azhari acted inappropriately to achieve his objectives.
“The dismissal of Ms Brownson was unjust and unreasonable,” Commissioner Crawford said.
“She was unfairly targeted … for vindictive personal reasons.”
While reinstatement at the Australian International Islamic College was deemed impractical due to a breakdown in trust, Ms Brownson was awarded the maximum compensation of $55,786.90 plus $6,415.49 in superannuation.
The commissioner said Ms Brownson is likely to find comparable employment by the 2026 school year. Her record from this decision can reassure potential employers that her conduct was appropriate.
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