Huge update for ‘suicidal’ Ten reporter Tegan George who sued TV bosses after she was driven to drink and traumatised by bushfire horrors

Huge update for 'suicidal' Ten reporter Tegan George who sued TV bosses after she was driven to drink and traumatised by bushfire horrors

As a dedicated follower of journalism and a fellow Australian, I can only imagine the immense courage it takes for Tegan George to speak out about her traumatic experiences. Reporting on natural disasters is part of the job, but the emotional toll it takes on those who witness such devastation firsthand should never be underestimated.


Previously employed political journalist, Tegan George, has come to an agreement in her lawsuit against the broadcasting company following allegations that she experienced intense emotional distress while covering bushfires.

According to reports from Daily Mail Australia, it is understood that Ms. George recently agreed to a confidential agreement following her prolonged medical leave which lasted over two years.

Originally based in Canberra, a 39-year-old journalist filed a lawsuit against the network in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory. The reason for the lawsuit was that they allegedly acted negligently and breached their duty of care towards her. She asserts that she developed suicidal thoughts and struggled with alcohol addiction after reporting on the devastating bushfires along the NSW South Coast during the 2019-2020 period, which ultimately took many lives.

After seeing the devastating fire that claimed the lives of livestock and forced terrified families to flee, she experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including nightmares, and subsequently turned to alcohol for comfort.

George stated that the emotional toll from the bushfires she reported on in Bega, Bermagui, Merimbula, and Cobarga during the first week of January 2020 significantly impacted her mental well-being, eventually affecting her professional life as well.

She alleged she was ‘required’ to file a distressing report on a father and son who  died while trying to protect their dairy farm from fire.

Additionally, she saw a frantic resident make a menacing gesture about opening fire on others while arguing over gas during an altercation, as they urgently sought to flee the spreading fire, according to court records.

George claimed that television managers compelled her to navigate through risky areas during the peak of the crisis, with ash descending from the heavens.

Huge update for 'suicidal' Ten reporter Tegan George who sued TV bosses after she was driven to drink and traumatised by bushfire horrors
Huge update for 'suicidal' Ten reporter Tegan George who sued TV bosses after she was driven to drink and traumatised by bushfire horrors

She asserted that she, along with a fellow coworker, disregarded a directive from superiors in Canberra to travel to Bermagui, a location that had previously been ordered to evacuate due to an impending threat.

However, they were forced to navigate winding rural roads in an attempt to find safety, unsure if their path might lead them into the grasp of the fire, as she claimed.

She asserted that Ten neglected its responsibility towards her by not providing sufficient preliminary training before sending her to manage the fires, thereby increasing the likelihood of injury, and failing to recognize potential hazards to her wellbeing.

In her lawsuit, it was mentioned that she experienced sleeplessness following the task, found it challenging to maintain focus or direct her thoughts, and felt a sensation of numbness on the left side of her body. At a certain point, her condition worsened to such an extent that she required full-time psychiatric hospitalization.

According to the lawsuit, it’s likely that an ordinary individual with average strength could develop a recognized mental health disorder if proper precautions were not observed.

Without the traumatic experience, she wouldn’t have reacted psychologically to later work-related events as intensely as she did, resulting in her being George’s statement that she was intermittently unable to work from February 27, 2020 and completely incapacitated since June 7, 2021.

10’s defense in the civil lawsuit asserts that they refute every charge of negligence. They also argue that George’s argument is based on the advantage of having knowledge of the final outcome (hindsight).

It added: ‘No contemporaneous “warning signs” were reasonably apparent to the defendant.’

Huge update for 'suicidal' Ten reporter Tegan George who sued TV bosses after she was driven to drink and traumatised by bushfire horrors
Huge update for 'suicidal' Ten reporter Tegan George who sued TV bosses after she was driven to drink and traumatised by bushfire horrors

Prior to the upcoming civil trial, scheduled for February 3 next year, regarding her allegations of sexual discrimination against the network, a settlement has been reached with her, over three years since she initially filed her complaint.

In a court filing, an extended argument was made stating that the network allegedly violated the Sex Discrimination Act, as the woman was compelled to work in an atmosphere considered unfavorable towards women.

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2024-09-01 17:21

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