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Primary school teacher’s $60,000 pay day after being bullied by a co-worker

Sydney man bullied and harassed at two jobs

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By CAITLIN POWELL – NEWS REPORTER

Published: 01:29 BST, 19 September 2025 | Updated: 01:29 BST, 19 September 2025

A teacher who suffered a psychological injury while working at a Sydney primary school and was then bullied about his weight and drinking habits by a colleague at a recruitment firm has won over $60,000 in compensation.

Ashley Brassington successfully won his claim against both the NSW Department of Education and a recruitment agency at the Personal Injury Commission in September.

The former teacher said he was subject to ongoing bullying, harassment, isolation tactics and intimidation tactics while working at Abbotsford Public School in Sydney’s inner west until he stopped work in December 2023.

Mr Brassington claimed his psychological injury sustained while working at the school was further aggravated by his manager at recruitment company Chandler Macleod.

It was not disputed that he sustained the injury while working as a teacher, but the recruitment firm unsuccessfully contested his claim.

Mr Brassington began working at Chandler Macleod on August 4, 2024.

He claimed to be the victim of several alleged incidents at the firm, including being called an alcoholic, overweight, and ‘jabbed in the arm’ by a male co-worker.

‘This same co-worker repeatedly bullied and harassed me in several different manners on several different days,’ his complaint stated.

Former teacher Ashley Brassington (pictured) was granted at least $1700-a-week in compensation by the Personal Injury Commission in September

Mr Brassington told the commission he was subjected to ongoing bullying, harassment, isolation and intimidation tactics while working for the NSW Department for Education at Abbotsford Public School until he ceased work in December 2023

‘This included calling me an alcoholic, making remarks about my weight. Was extremely demanding on a very frequent basis.’

Mr Brassington claimed the co-worker would send him Teams message and then immediately required verbal confirmation that it had been received.

He described how his co-worker regularly invaded his personal space, relayed highly sensitive information about others to him, and would ‘dig’ for personal information.

Mr Brassington lodged an official complaint on October 5 about his colleague.

The commission heard the firm’s HR department was due to investigate, but Mr Brassington’s evidence claimed nothing happened for a week.

He told the commission that no explanation was given for the delay.

Commission member John Turner noted there was no evidence contradicting his claims, although a previous police report filed by Mr Brassington about the alleged ‘jabbing’ incident showed his colleague denied the incident.

Mr Turner accepted Mr Brassington’s evidence.

The department was ordered by the commission to pay Mr Brassington (pictured) more than $1100 per week backdated to January 6, which up to this week cost a total of $41,800

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Mr Turner said medical evidence supported the fact Mr Brassington had suffered an aggravation of his previous injury while at Chandler Macleod.

He also accepted the opinion from a medical expert that the former teacher ‘has and has had no capacity to engage in any form of work or study’.

Mr Turner ordered the education department to pay Mr Brassington more than $1,100 per week backdated to January 6, which up to this week amounted to a total of $41,800.

Chandler Macleod was ordered to pay just over $640 per week, amounting to $24,320 to date, bringing the former teacher’s total compensation to $63,200.

A spokesperson for Chandler Macleod told Daily Mail it was committed to providing a ‘safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees’.

‘We take any concerns about behaviour in the workplace seriously,’ they said.

Daily Mail has contacted the education department and Abbotsford Public School.

The question of worker compensation legislation has made headlines this year after the NSW Government published a draft amendment to the Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment Bill in May.

The change would mean raising the ‘impairment threshold’ for those seeking long-term payments for psychological injuries.

It has been criticised by several organisations, including the NSW branches of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.

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Primary school teacher’s $60,000 pay day after being bullied by a co-worker

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