The Education Department has spent millions of dollars on legal fees against five Jewish students from Brighton Secondary College who claim they endured years of antisemitic bullying.
The Victorian government racked up millions of dollars in legal fees in a marathon court battle against five Jewish public school students who claim they endured years of antisemitic bullying.
Invoices obtained by the Sunday Herald Sun under Freedom of Information laws show the Education Department has spent at least $2.1m defending the high-profile case since 2021.
Former Brighton Secondary College students — brothers Joel and Matt Kaplan, Liam Arnold-Levy, Guy Cohen and Zack Snelling — sued the Victorian government, school principal Richard Minack and two teachers over claims of systemic racial bullying between 2013 to 2020.
During the seven week trial, Mr Arnold-Levy alleged he was bashed, spat at, called a “f — king Jew”, told to “die in an oven”, had “Heil Hitler” drawn on his locker and held at knifepoint.
He told the court that there was “no safe place” at the high school and that nothing was done to stop the bullies, despite several reports to staff.
The department’s no-costs-spared legal challenge included 79 days in the Federal Court – including trial and pre-trial dates – before Chief Justice Debra Mortimer.
Read the article by Carly Douglas in the Herald Sun.