Frazer v State of Queensland
[2026] QSC 82 · Crow J
Ms Frazer, an experienced high school teacher at Urangan State High School, sued her employer, the State of Queensland, for a psychiatric injury (post-traumatic stress disorder). An angry parent, upset about allegations made against Ms Frazer, came onto the school grounds, banged on the staffroom door and behaved aggressively while trying to confront her. The principal sent staff and a school-based police officer to deal with the situation, and the parent eventually left without touching anyone. The main questions were whether the school failed to take reasonable precautions (such as physically removing the parent, calling a lockdown, or warning the teacher) and whether any such failure caused her injury. The judge found the principal acted reasonably in the one to two minutes available and that none of the suggested precautions would have prevented the injury. Although the court worked out that her damages would have been about $678,000 if she had won, it gave judgment for the State, so she recovered nothing.
Incident & injury
Psychiatric injury (PTSD) suffered by a teacher following an incident where an angry parent entered the school grounds, banged on the staffroom door, and aggressively confronted/threatened staff while looking to confront the plaintiff over allegations made against her.
Read the findings as text
- Lockdown, force or a warning. The precautions pressed.
- No breach, no causation. A lockdown would send staff outside.
- $0 recovered. $678,307 assessed.
- Body regions
- Psychiatric
- Diagnoses
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Incident date
- 24 March 2021
- Location
- Urangan State High School, Hervey Bay
Quick facts
- Date of judgment
- 22 April 2026
- Claim type
- WCRA Common Law
- Proceeding
- Trial
- Plaintiff outcome
- Unsuccessful
- Plaintiff age at injury
- ~55 (inferred)
- Occupation
- Secondary schoolteacher Professional
- Liability
- Disputed
- ISV assessed
- 10 · Item 12, moderate mental disorder, Schedule 9 WCRR
- Whole Person Impairment
- 7%
- Total damages
- $0
Outcome
Although the court assessed the plaintiff's damages at $678,307.30, it found the State did not breach its duty of care and that causation was not established. Judgment was given for the defendant against the plaintiff, so she recovered nothing.
Defendant
1 State of Queensland
Employer
- Judgment against this defendant
- $0
- WorkCover refund
- $152,874
Heads of damage
| General damages | $18,470 |
|---|---|
| Past economic loss | $300,000 |
| Interest on past EL | $22,224 |
| Past superannuation | $33,000 |
| Future loss of economic capacity | $370,000 |
| Future superannuation | $44,400 |
| Past special damages (plaintiff) | $5,822 |
| Past special damages (WorkCover) | $19,948 |
| Interest on past special damages | $705 |
| Fox v Wood | $16,612 |
| Subtotal before refunds | $831,451 |
Key issues
Frazer v State of Queensland [2026] QSC 82
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Learn more about WorkCover common law claims and psychological injury claims in Queensland.