Extraordinary social media row sparked a late-night ambush on principal’s home 

Tracey Brose, principal at Tamborine Mountain State High School in Queensland, took legal action against a group of parents over derogatory comments made against her in 2016

A group of parents launched an extraordinary campaign of online harassment against a school principal before one angry father ambushed her home.

Tracey Brose, principal at Tamborine Mountain State High School in Queensland, took legal action against a group of parents over derogatory remarks they made about her in 2016.

They came after other parents started a Change.org petition to encourage the education minister to reinstate Ms Brose after she was temporarily suspended.

On Facebook, and in the comments section of the petition, some parents wrote defamatory statements about Ms Brose and claimed she was a ‘lying manipulative, bully, who gets off by belittling as man people as she can’. 

A number of parents from Tamborine Mountain, which is the only state high school in the small community which has a population of just 7000, chose to remove their comments.

Others had planned to argue their case in court but later settled when Ms Brose asked for $150,000 in damages. 

Donna and Miguel Baluskas refused to give in and spent four years trying to prove they were the victims.

The battle between the parents and principal turned volatile when Mr Baluskas stormed Ms Brose’s home late on night on May 21, 2018. 

 

Donna and Miguel Baluskas refused to give in and spent four years trying to prove they were the victims

He demanded they let him inside but they refused. 

Mr Baluskas’ told them to ‘open the door and talk to me or I’ll open the door myself’.

Shocking footage of the incident shows Mr Baluskas smashing the glass window of Ms Brose’s family home as he attempted to force his way inside. 

Ms Brose’s terrified children ran upstairs and barricaded themselves inside a cupboard.

His attack on the family home, which lasted 25 minutes, only ended when Ms Brose’s husband threatened the furious parent with a knife. 

Balukas has since been convicted of unlawful damage, 60Minutes reported.

Ms Brose said the defamation case wasn’t about money but about a judge telling the parents to stop their campaign of abuse.  

‘I don’t need money I don’t need damages, I need her to say this is not okay and needs to stop. Because if she doesn’t say it needs to stop what then? Next week they get back online and write more stuff? They’re bashing at your door again? 

‘What happens to educators if we can’t feel safe doing our jobs?’ 

Mr and Mrs Baluskas have had a vendetta against Ms Brose since their son Harrison was expelled from the school for making a ‘silly’ comment on a school bus.  

Trudy Arnold (pictured) admits she made her comments about Ms Bose after a few bourbons

Donna Baluskas (pictured) had a vendetta against Ms Brose since her son Harrison was expelled from the school for making a ‘silly’ comment on a school bus

Mr Baluskas admits things got heated during the initial meeting.

He told the deputy principal to ‘shut up’ and ‘stare out the window’.

‘I’m here to talk to the head not the a**e.’

When they saw comments being made against Ms Bose online, they decided to join in, falsely saying ‘she’s nothing but an evil nasty horrible person’.

‘What she did to our son was evil,’ Ms Baluskas said.

Screenshots of those comments were sent to Ms Brose by her family members. 

‘I was devastated. I just sat and sobbed hysterically,’ she said.

She contacted a lawyer to tell the parents to apologise and remove the defamatory comments or face being sued.

Mr and Mrs Baluskas refused to apologise.

Tracey Brose from the Tamborine Mountain State High School (pictured) sued parents for defamation 

The couple claim they have lost everything, forking out nearly $1million fighting what they call ‘false claims’.

‘She’s out for revengeance (sic) on anybody that speaks out against her,’ Ms Baluskas said.

On Friday, Judge Catherine Muir ruled in favour of Ms Brose and ordered Donna and Miguel Baluskas to pay $3,000 in damages following a four-week trial.

Three parents had already settled out of court for a combined $182,500. 

Judge Muir ordered that each party must pay their own legal costs, ABC reported.

‘The damages I have awarded are modest and well below what the plaintiff has sought.

‘But I consider them sufficient to vindicate the plaintiff in light of the unique contextual features of social media forums.

‘I am satisfied that there is a real risk of further publication of the defamatory comments made by the first and second defendants (Donna and Miguel Baluskas), so I have ordered that they be permanently restrained from making them again.’

She said the emotional toll on all those involved has been high.

How the bitter feud between parents and a principal unfolded: 

February, 2016: 

Tamborine Mountain State High School principal Tracey Brose is temporarily suspended

A petition is launched demanding the education minister to reinstate her

Some parents disagree with the petition and falsely write online that Ms Brose was a ‘lying, manipulative bully, who gets off by belittling as many people as she can’

Ms Brose gets a lawyer involved, who tells parents to delete the comments or face legal action 

Five parents refuse to apologise and Ms Brose sues them for $1million

2017: 

Ms Brose reaches an out-of-court settlement with Ian Martin, who agrees to pay her $20,000. The principal also settles with Karl Veasey, receiving $70,000.

Trudie Arnold declares bankruptcy 

2018:

The case is still going through courts, costing Donna and Miguel Baluskas thousands. The couple have lost their home and are now bankrupt. 

May 21:

Miguel Baluskas storms Ms Brose’s home demanding to be let in. When she refuses he smashes a window and attempts to force his way inside. 

He is later convicted of unlawful damage.

February 2020:

A judge rules in favour of Ms Brose, ordering Donna and Miguel Baluskas to pay $3,000 in damages.   

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk