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A grieving mother has been threatened with trespass by Takapuna Grammar School where her son was beaten the day before he killed himself.
Maria Bradshaw, whose son Toran Henry was found dead in the garage of their North Shore home on March 20, received a letter from a lawyer acting for the school alleging she made disruptive visits and lured pupils from class via text message.
The Takapuna Grammar student was found dead the day after he was beaten up in a fight filmed by other students on their mobile phones.
Now the school claims Bradshaw has made "disruptive visits" to the school.
Choking back tears yesterday, Bradshaw denied the claims and told the Herald on Sunday she wanted an apology from the school.
"I have nothing left to lose any more. Toran was my only child, he was the only child I am ever going to have. I devoted my life to him. I am never going to see my son again; I will never have any grandchildren."
Bradshaw said she had visited the school on April 11 to ask for her son's records, but principal Simon Lamb said legislation prevented the school from giving her a copy.
Bradshaw said she wanted Toran's records to help her in her interview with Sir Ian Barker, QC, who is investigating Toran's death.
Bradshaw was applying for the records under the Privacy Act and under her lawyer's advice.
She said she was made to wait for three hours while the school discussed whether to hand over the records.
During that time, she estimates 15 of Toran's friends heard she was there and came to support her in the office.
She denied texting them to leave class and see her, and said the school was welcome to check her phone records. "The children must have texted each other, but that's something out of my control."
Bradshaw describes her behaviour on the day as "pretty graphic about what I was feeling and how I felt about the school".
She said staff called the police, but although a police car arrived at the car park, she was not approached.
Bradshaw was shocked to receive a letter from the school's lawyers.
The letter, to her lawyer, says: "Ms Bradshaw has come to TGS more than once and drawn students from their classrooms. TGS is extremely concerned at the psychological and emotional effect this is having on students and the school. Texting students and telling them to leave their classrooms to come and meet her causes significant disruption to teaching and learning."
It continues: "TGS does not want a trespass order to be imposed on Ms Bradshaw but is now concerned that might become necessary if there are further disruptive visits."
Bradshaw said the claims were a "complete fabrication". "They have security cameras, and security guards. I am sure one of the school's 1500 children would have seen me if I had been to the school. If they have evidence, then produce it, if they don't have evidence and they've made a mistake, I would like an apology."
The letter claims Bradshaw should have applied for her son's records under the Official Information Act (OIA), not the Privacy Act.
But it says even under the OIA, they would not be allowed to release records relating to Toran's visit to a school guidance counsellor. They claim that would violate Toran's privacy and said he was capable of exercising his rights because he was over 16. It is further claimed the guidance counsellor is bound by a code of ethics that provide limited grounds for the release of information, and death is not one of them.
Jan Hill, chairwoman of the school's board of trustees, last night laughed off the lawyer's letter. She repeatedly refused to comment on the allegations of multiple visits by Bradshaw, texting students and the claim of a trespass notice. Hill said: "You've got the letter, that's all that counts."
She said she was "quite sure" that the school would not be issuing a trespass order before repeating, "It's just not a story".
Bradshaw is organising a March for Justice up Queen St on May 13, the day Toran would have turned 18.
Her aim is to raise awareness of youth suicide.
