Following a reported assault at Warringa Park Primary, a Wyndham mother is suing the Education Department
A Wyndham mother is advocating for improved safety protocols at a specialist school after her vulnerable son reportedly suffered serious injuries, leaving him battered and unable to walk properly. Sharna Valli has clarified that she is not seeking to shut down Warringa Park Primary School, as initially reported by The Age, but wants stronger protections in place for children with special needs. WyndhamTV’s original coverage was also based on the information presented by The Age, but Valli reached out to correct details that she says were inaccurately reported.
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Valli is suing the Department of Education on behalf of her autistic child, who was allegedly injured at Warringa Park Primary School in Melbourne’s south-west in December 2021. According to court documents, a paediatrician concluded it was highly likely that the injuries sustained by her son, who has autism spectrum disorder and a severe language disorder, occurred on school grounds.
“There needs to be a proper investigation and material changes to ensure the safety of children,” Valli stated, emphasising that her primary concern is safety improvements rather than school closure. “I’m not trying to shut the school down; that’s not what I stated in my report,” she clarified in response to The Age’s initial coverage.
When her 12-year-old son came home from school on December 9, 2021, Valli noticed immediately that bruising covered about 90 percent of his body, contradicting The Age’s earlier report suggesting bruises were only noticed days later. Her son was bruised on his shoulders, under his arms, legs, back, and had a cut on his chin. He was in such pain that he could barely walk, visibly limping. Valli took him to the police station to report the injuries straight away.
In the aftermath, Valli observed significant changes in her son’s behaviour and mental health. “He became extremely angry all the time. He was up all night with anxiety, became afraid to leave me, and afraid of everyone else,” she explained. He also struggled with physical symptoms related to stress, including stomach pain and vomiting.
Following the incident, her son switched to a different school, though Valli noted that he continues to show signs of trauma. She hopes the lawsuit will lead to better safety measures for children with special needs and improved staff training.
The legal complaint also highlights a prior incident in 2020 when Valli’s son returned home with unexplained injuries, including a bite mark and bruising near his eye. After that episode, Valli temporarily withdrew him from Warringa Park Primary until the school could implement a safety plan.
Her son’s legal team argues that it was foreseeable he might be at risk of harm and asserts that the school had a duty of care. According to the lawsuit, the school failed to establish adequate systems for reporting misconduct or abuse, did not have proper supervision, and lacked clear directions for students on reporting abuse to school authorities.
Valli is seeking compensation to cover the costs of ongoing trauma-focused therapy for her son, who she says now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. “I don’t honestly know if [my son] will ever be completely OK,” she said, adding that the legal action is meant to give her son “a voice and a right to justice.”
Arnold Thomas & Becker, the law firm representing the family, stated that enhanced supervision could have prevented her son’s injuries. Lawyer Cameron Doig commented, “Proper supervision would have prevented those injuries and kept our client safe.”
