A Gold Coast school cleaner has been awarded more than $150,000 in compensation after his workmates played a cruel prank on him by pretending an orgy had taken place in a staff room.
On September 2014, Shane Green's colleagues set up the Helensvale State School staff room to look like a sexual orgy had taken place.
A mattress, a pillow and bedclothes were allegedly taken from the school's sick room and placed in the kitchenette at the school, according to documents supplied to the Queensland Civil Administrative Tribunal.
The colleagues then allegedly squirted cream into condoms and placed them around the room along with a bra, ladies boxer shorts and empty bottles of beer and wine.
A number of party poppers were also allegedly discharged and chips were scattered across the floor.
Mr Green, upon seeing the room the next morning, was led to believe a sex romp had occurred between two staff members at the school.
He cleaned the room and two days later told his colleagues he intended to speak to one of the staff members involved. It was then he was told the sex orgy was a prank.
Mr Green lodged a sexual harassment claim with the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland about these events in 2014. The matter was not able to be resolved and Mr Green sought referral to the Tribunal.
Mr Green's lawyer Bruce Simmonds of Parker Simmonds Solicitors & Lawyers said Mr Green had had to step down from his role and rely on WorkCover as a result of the incident.
"He was horrified and subjected to great emotional stress by this trauma especially when they didn't own up to the joke and left him believing it was real," Mr Simmonds said.
"He was devastated by the incident. Who could he speak to? Who should he report this to? He bottled it up.
"Mr Green would like to resume his job at the school but he feels humiliated by the experience and right now his future is unclear."
The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal ordered Education Queensland pay Mr Green a compensation of $156,051.