Principal begins $1m case against parents
A QUEENSLAND high school principal allegedly called an "evil bully" on social media will today take her accusers to court in a defamation trial in pursuit of more than $1 million in damages.
In a landmark civil case at Southport District Court, Tamborine Mountain State High School principal Tracey Brose is suing five parents, alleging they defamed her on Facebook and in a Change.org petition in 2016.
She has settled her claim against two other parents while another person originally named in the court action has since declared bankruptcy.

Only four parents - nurse Donna Baluskas, data technician Miguel Baluskas, grocery merchandiser Laura Lawson and aged-care nurse Charmaine Proudlock - are taking an active part in the case.
According to court documents, Mrs Brose was falsely called "evil" and a "a lying, manipulative bully, who gets off by belittling as many people as she can", in a series of comments published online after the principal was stood down from her role in 2016.

Mrs Brose was subsequently cleared of any wrong-doing and reappointed.
All the parties were last month warned by District Court Judge Catherine Muir to behave during the trial, the climax of a bitter three-year legal row.